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Bung knee compels Simpson to call it quits
BRETT KEEBLE
August 10, 2010
NEWCASTLE, NSW and Australian second-rower Steve Simpson has succumbed to a chronic knee injury, and will announce his retirement today.
The 30-year-old veteran of 216 NRL games for the Knights, seven Tests and 13 State of Origin matches will tell teammates of his decision before training this morning then make an official announcement at a media conference.
Simpson did not return calls last night but sources close to him and the team confirmed speculation he would not play again.
The Knights issued a statement last night saying they would make a ''significant club announcement'' at 8.45am today.
Simpson's right knee has not responded to arthroscopic surgery almost three months ago and, with no realistic chance of playing again this year and no contract beyond this season, he was not prepared to continue painful rehabilitation process in the faint hope of returning.
The Knights decided not to offer him a new deal until he returned to the field and proved he had recovered from the knee injury that has dogged him for several years.
Simpson has been restricted to just eight appearances this season - the last being in Newcastle's 23-6 loss to Wests Tigers at EnergyAustralia Stadium on May 21.
The possibility that Simpson had reached the end of his decorated career was first raised in in June after he was ruled out of the Knights' game against Penrith.
He had clean-up surgery to trim torn cartilage and repair wear and tear, but his knee has deteriorated so that bone rubs on bone.
Simpson's retirement has cleared the way for the Knights to announce the signing of Dragons enforcer Jeremy Smith, or another established forward, as his replacement.
The Knights denied speculation yesterday that they had already won the tug of war with the Sharks for Smith's services.
A source in Sydney said the 25-year-old back-rower had rejected Cronulla's advances to agree to terms on a three-year deal with Newcastle, but Knights recruitment manager Keith Onslow insisted yesterday that was not the case.
The Knights have already signed Smith's Dragons teammate Neville Costigan and clubmate Beau Henry, St George Illawarra's NYC five-eighth, to three-year deals.
Onslow said he had spoken to Smith's manager, Sam Ayoub, late yesterday, and Ayoub had assured him that the Kiwis international remained undecided. Ayoub told Onslow late last week that Smith was likely to make a decision today, and Onslow said nothing had changed.
Simpson is the Knights' sixth most capped player behind Andrew Johns (249), Tony Butterfield (229), Robbie O'Davis (223), Matt Gidley (221) and Danny Buderus (220).
He made his NRL debut at Parramatta Stadium on April 30, 1999, coming off the bench in a 29-22 loss to the Eels, and his first run-on appearance was in a 32-26 loss to Penrith in Newcastle on May 7, 2000.
http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...-simpson-to-call-it-quits-20100809-11u25.html
One of my all time favourites, forever remembered for his try saver on Ryan in the 01 GF.
I believe at one stage he played 70 or so matches in a row early in his career before missing most of 2004 with a foot injury. Ironic that he was considered such a durable player early on in his career because of his avoidance of injuries and how tough he played (top one on one tackler in the game IMO 02-03) only to become unlucky and incredible injury prone for the last 7 seasons of his career. He probably played 40% of his matches in the first 3 years of his 11 year career.
His best game was the infamous 2002 Eels game at EAS. He made two 60 metre breaks in this game, scored 2 tries and racked up 200+ metres and got the MOTM.
A club legend and the last in the real tough mould of Newcastle forward. No doubt he and BK were the best backrow in the comp when together on the park.
Nostalgia hits when you realise he is 30, and for many of us we are now older then Simmo was himself when he won that GF.
He goes in the way of Chief, Butts, Matty, Joey and Bedsy - out the way a club legend should not go but that does not discount him from an obvious place in our all time top 17.
Wish him all the best and thank him for contributing both - to some awesome early 2000's memories and for also been a senior player in a rabble of a team the last few years.
BRETT KEEBLE
August 10, 2010
NEWCASTLE, NSW and Australian second-rower Steve Simpson has succumbed to a chronic knee injury, and will announce his retirement today.
The 30-year-old veteran of 216 NRL games for the Knights, seven Tests and 13 State of Origin matches will tell teammates of his decision before training this morning then make an official announcement at a media conference.
Simpson did not return calls last night but sources close to him and the team confirmed speculation he would not play again.
The Knights issued a statement last night saying they would make a ''significant club announcement'' at 8.45am today.
Simpson's right knee has not responded to arthroscopic surgery almost three months ago and, with no realistic chance of playing again this year and no contract beyond this season, he was not prepared to continue painful rehabilitation process in the faint hope of returning.
The Knights decided not to offer him a new deal until he returned to the field and proved he had recovered from the knee injury that has dogged him for several years.
Simpson has been restricted to just eight appearances this season - the last being in Newcastle's 23-6 loss to Wests Tigers at EnergyAustralia Stadium on May 21.
The possibility that Simpson had reached the end of his decorated career was first raised in in June after he was ruled out of the Knights' game against Penrith.
He had clean-up surgery to trim torn cartilage and repair wear and tear, but his knee has deteriorated so that bone rubs on bone.
Simpson's retirement has cleared the way for the Knights to announce the signing of Dragons enforcer Jeremy Smith, or another established forward, as his replacement.
The Knights denied speculation yesterday that they had already won the tug of war with the Sharks for Smith's services.
A source in Sydney said the 25-year-old back-rower had rejected Cronulla's advances to agree to terms on a three-year deal with Newcastle, but Knights recruitment manager Keith Onslow insisted yesterday that was not the case.
The Knights have already signed Smith's Dragons teammate Neville Costigan and clubmate Beau Henry, St George Illawarra's NYC five-eighth, to three-year deals.
Onslow said he had spoken to Smith's manager, Sam Ayoub, late yesterday, and Ayoub had assured him that the Kiwis international remained undecided. Ayoub told Onslow late last week that Smith was likely to make a decision today, and Onslow said nothing had changed.
Simpson is the Knights' sixth most capped player behind Andrew Johns (249), Tony Butterfield (229), Robbie O'Davis (223), Matt Gidley (221) and Danny Buderus (220).
He made his NRL debut at Parramatta Stadium on April 30, 1999, coming off the bench in a 29-22 loss to the Eels, and his first run-on appearance was in a 32-26 loss to Penrith in Newcastle on May 7, 2000.
http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...-simpson-to-call-it-quits-20100809-11u25.html
One of my all time favourites, forever remembered for his try saver on Ryan in the 01 GF.
I believe at one stage he played 70 or so matches in a row early in his career before missing most of 2004 with a foot injury. Ironic that he was considered such a durable player early on in his career because of his avoidance of injuries and how tough he played (top one on one tackler in the game IMO 02-03) only to become unlucky and incredible injury prone for the last 7 seasons of his career. He probably played 40% of his matches in the first 3 years of his 11 year career.
His best game was the infamous 2002 Eels game at EAS. He made two 60 metre breaks in this game, scored 2 tries and racked up 200+ metres and got the MOTM.
A club legend and the last in the real tough mould of Newcastle forward. No doubt he and BK were the best backrow in the comp when together on the park.
Nostalgia hits when you realise he is 30, and for many of us we are now older then Simmo was himself when he won that GF.
He goes in the way of Chief, Butts, Matty, Joey and Bedsy - out the way a club legend should not go but that does not discount him from an obvious place in our all time top 17.
Wish him all the best and thank him for contributing both - to some awesome early 2000's memories and for also been a senior player in a rabble of a team the last few years.
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