Mannering retires from Kiwis

One decision done by Simon Mannering and one to go.

The stalwart for club and country announced yesterday he has retired from international rugby league as he looks to preserve his body a bit longer.

His announcement means he won’t be available for the Kiwis’ test against England in Denver later this month and will spend the rest of the season focusing on the Warriors.

‘‘I had it in my mind for a while,’’ Mannering said after a rain-soaked Warriors training session.

‘‘But it’s never set in concrete before you announce it, so that was still hard to do, but it’s definitely the right decision.

‘‘I thought it was a good time, I’m not getting any younger and we’ve got a really good bunch of kids coming through and I didn’t think I can match it with them these days in that arena.’’

The question is whether the 31-year-old will retire from all footy at the end of the season, or sign a new deal with the Warriors.

Johnathan Thurston, Cameron Smith and Cooper Cronk have all decided over the last six months to retire from representative footy to extend their NRL careers. It would be understandable if Mannering came to the same conclusion, but says he’s still undecided.

‘‘I guess we’ll wait to see,’’ he said. ‘‘It is a physical toll on your