Bears want White to stay around

BURLEIGH hope to keep Matt White around Pizzey Park after the retiring frontrower played his final Intrust Super Cup game on Saturday.

The Bears were beaten by Easts in the preliminary final, marking the end of White’s career which featured 12 years in the NRL including seven at the Gold Coast Titans.

The 34-year-old has spent the past two seasons exclusively in the ISC, chalking up 45 games for Burleigh in that time.

White described the feeling after his last game as “weird” but is pleased with the decision that he made only recently.

“I just knew the time was right,” said White, who led the team out against Easts and kicked a conversion at the end of the match.

“It’s a shame we couldn’t go one more game but that’s footy, I suppose. I have had a pretty good career.”

White, a father of two and a plasterer by trade, plans to use time usually devoted to footy to spend with family and go fishing and camping.

Bears coach Jimmy Lenihan is eager to keep him around the playing group.

“We could always do with great blokes like him,” said Lenihan, who believes the evergreen prop could have played for another season.

“He is a really valued member of our group not just for what he does on the field but what he brings to us off it.”