After 11 seasons and more than 200 NRL games, Newcastle Knights backrower Aidan Guerra will hang up his boots at the end of the season.
The veteran forward told teammates of his decision to retire on Wednesday and confirmed the news when contacted by the Newcastle Herald.
"The timing is right for me and my family and there are a lot of little contributing factors," Guerra said.
"It's been a long slog this season and the body's obviously been telling me he's not too sure how much longer I can continue to push.
"A part of it is also not wanting to be that player who comes back for another season and finds he can't contribute on the field. So I just thought the time was right to go out on my own terms."
After an injury-plagued 2019, Guerra hasn't missed a game this season and will feature prominently in the club's first finals campaign in seven years.
Whatever happens with the Knights for the rest of the season, he can feel well satisfied with what he has achieved in the game.
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After linking with the Roosters from Melbourne Storm in 2010, he played 154 NRL games for the club, scoring a try in their 2013 grandfinal triumph over Manly.
He played 10 Origin games for the Maroons, played for Italy in the 2013 World Cup and made his one and only Test appearance for the Kangaroos in 2014 against New Zealand in the Four Nations tournament.
He joined the Knights in 2018 and has played 53 games for the club.
"I feel what I've been able to contribute to the game is pretty much as good as it's going to get for me and I'm sure when I look back on it in the years to come, I'll be pretty proud of it for sure," he said.
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