- Apr 5, 2002
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Shattered Muir quits
By DEAN RITCHIE
August 07, 2002
A HEARTBROKEN South Sydney captain Adam Muir yesterday quit rugby league after being dumped to first division in the aftermath of last Sunday's 50-point thrashing from Wests Tigers.
Muir, 30, made a plea to Souths officials not be chosen in first division just four games short of his retirement after 11 years of first grade football.
Club officials then asked the veteran secondrower to stand down for this Saturday's match against Parramatta at Parramatta Stadium.
"It is a bitter pill," Muir told The Daily Telegraph yesterday.
"It is disappointing and I would like to have gone out in a semi-final but you don't always go out the way you want.
"I've got four games left and didn't want to finish playing reserve grade (sic). There's nothing wrong with reserve grade but at this stage of my career, it's not the way I deserve to go out.
"It wasn't much of a choice but I stood down.
"So I have retired and played my last game of rugby league."
Muir's shock announcement comes on a day when Souths coach Craig Coleman made 11 changes – most positional – to the side belted 50-4 by the Tigers .
Australian captain Andrew Johns last night paid tribute to his former Newcastle teammate.
"I can remember 'Hurtsie' (Muir) single-handedly taking teams apart on the edge of the ruck," Johns said.
"He built up more of a combination with Matthew (Johns) than me. He played his best football at Newcastle – Adam should be proud of everything he's done."
Souths chief executive Paul Dunn was last night hoping to persuade Muir into returning for the final two or three matches of the season.
"Adam's mentally tired," he said.
"I'd like to see him play the last couple of games and go out a winner. He wasn't happy to be dropped. He may play again but there's a chance he won't. Losing 50-4 isn't the way he should go out."
Muir played 182 first grade games at Newcastle, Norths, the Northern Eagles and Souths. He also played three Tests and 13 State of Origin games for NSW.
Muir said he was "blessed" to have won a premiership with the Knights and played representative football.
"I know my form hasn't been great but the Cronulla game was one of my better ones. But Souths want to go in a different direction," Muir said.
"It was always going to be tough at Souths but I did captain them in their first year back."
Asked was it difficult dropping Muir, Coleman said: "It's always tough dropping a player – it's not something you enjoy but that's football. Some great footballers have been dropped over the years.
"But we have four games to go and I wanted to start looking at some blokes who will be here next year. We didn't play well last week and some changes had to be made."
Coleman also dropped Russell Richardson, Andrew King and Joven Clarke to first division.
The three players to gain promotion are Andrew Hinson, John Olzard and Nathan DeBartolo.
By DEAN RITCHIE
August 07, 2002
A HEARTBROKEN South Sydney captain Adam Muir yesterday quit rugby league after being dumped to first division in the aftermath of last Sunday's 50-point thrashing from Wests Tigers.
Muir, 30, made a plea to Souths officials not be chosen in first division just four games short of his retirement after 11 years of first grade football.
Club officials then asked the veteran secondrower to stand down for this Saturday's match against Parramatta at Parramatta Stadium.
"It is a bitter pill," Muir told The Daily Telegraph yesterday.
"It is disappointing and I would like to have gone out in a semi-final but you don't always go out the way you want.
"I've got four games left and didn't want to finish playing reserve grade (sic). There's nothing wrong with reserve grade but at this stage of my career, it's not the way I deserve to go out.
"It wasn't much of a choice but I stood down.
"So I have retired and played my last game of rugby league."
Muir's shock announcement comes on a day when Souths coach Craig Coleman made 11 changes – most positional – to the side belted 50-4 by the Tigers .
Australian captain Andrew Johns last night paid tribute to his former Newcastle teammate.
"I can remember 'Hurtsie' (Muir) single-handedly taking teams apart on the edge of the ruck," Johns said.
"He built up more of a combination with Matthew (Johns) than me. He played his best football at Newcastle – Adam should be proud of everything he's done."
Souths chief executive Paul Dunn was last night hoping to persuade Muir into returning for the final two or three matches of the season.
"Adam's mentally tired," he said.
"I'd like to see him play the last couple of games and go out a winner. He wasn't happy to be dropped. He may play again but there's a chance he won't. Losing 50-4 isn't the way he should go out."
Muir played 182 first grade games at Newcastle, Norths, the Northern Eagles and Souths. He also played three Tests and 13 State of Origin games for NSW.
Muir said he was "blessed" to have won a premiership with the Knights and played representative football.
"I know my form hasn't been great but the Cronulla game was one of my better ones. But Souths want to go in a different direction," Muir said.
"It was always going to be tough at Souths but I did captain them in their first year back."
Asked was it difficult dropping Muir, Coleman said: "It's always tough dropping a player – it's not something you enjoy but that's football. Some great footballers have been dropped over the years.
"But we have four games to go and I wanted to start looking at some blokes who will be here next year. We didn't play well last week and some changes had to be made."
Coleman also dropped Russell Richardson, Andrew King and Joven Clarke to first division.
The three players to gain promotion are Andrew Hinson, John Olzard and Nathan DeBartolo.
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