ANTHONY Minichiello, a genuine Sydney Roosters champion, has announced he will retire after this season.
Minichiello, 34, made the emotional announcement at Roosters headquarters, surrounded by team-mates, coaching staff and family.
The veteran fullback, has decided to call time after 15 seasons in which he became one of the biggest names and one of the most popular personalities in the game.
Today Id like to announce Im retiring at the end of this season, he said at a press conference.
Its a decision I have thought long and hard about and I think its the right one for me and my family.
I wouldnt be the man I am today without the Roosters and rugby league.
Minichiello, who became a father for the first time at the end of last year when his wife, Terry Biviano gave birth to baby daughter Azura, will retire as one of the Roosters greatest ever players.
He has currently played 294 games for the Roosters, the second most of all-time behind Luke Ricketson (301).
Assuming he avoids injury, Minichiello should pass the 300-game milestone in week one of the finals.
Minichiello debuted against the Bulldogs in round 4 of the 2000 season and retires having achieved almost everything the game has to offer including the Golden Boot in 2005 as the International Player of the Year.
He has played in an astonishing six grand finals and is a chance of playing in a seventh if the Roosters can replicate their 2013 performance.
By the end of 2004 Minichiello had already played in four grand finals but only tasted success in the 2002 decider against the Warriors. The losses coming against the Broncos (2000), the Panthers (2003) and Bulldogs (2004).
He experienced a further grand final loss to the Dragons in 2010 but in the highlight of his club career captained the Roosters to the premiership against the Sea Eagles last year.
Having started his career on the wing, Minichiello was moved to fullback and was along with Darren Lockyer, the dominant player in the position during the first half of the 2000s.
Back and ankle injuries seriously curtailed his career in the latter half of that decade when many feared his career may be cut short, but Minichiello fought trough to become an integral part of the Roosters resurgence.
However, by that stage Brett Stewart, Karmichael Hunt and Billy Slater had become the dominant fullbacks in the game.
He has a late-career form surge and he received a call-up to the New South Wales Origin team in 2011 after four years out of the representative scene.
All up, Minichiello played 11 times for the Blues and featured in the three consecutive winning series from 2003-05. It should have been 12 but he was suspended along with Mark Gasnier for Game I of 2004 after taking a mobile phone on a bonding session.
Minichiello was awarded the Wally Lewis Medal as Player-of-the-Series in 2005, NSWs final series success for eight years before breaking the streak this year.
He represented Australia 18 times between 2003 and 2005 and was one of the stars of Australias 44-4 win over Britain in the 2004 Tri Nations, scoring twice for the Kangaroos.
He was named Man-of-the-Tournament the next year despite Australias loss to New Zealand in the final.
