NRL premiership winner Kyle Turner retires after rejecting offer from Queanbeyan
After missing out on a deal to stay with South Sydney and turning down an offer from the Queanbeyan Kangaroos, NRL premiership winner Kyle Turner is quitting rugby league, for now.
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South Sydney premiership winner Kyle Turner has announced his retirement from rugby league for the immediate future after knocking back an opportunity to continue his career with the Queanbeyan Kangaroos in the Canberra competition.
The Sunday Telegraph can reveal the Kangaroos offered Turner a contract for the 2020 season.
The club were hopeful of adding the ex-Rabbitohs experience to their line-up, however they weren’t willing to wait for him to commit to a deal.
The Kangaroos will now pursue other options for this season.
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Turner is in limbo after South Sydney didn’t offer him a deal beyond the 2019 season received interest from a host of NRL clubs, most strongly Newcastle, but he couldn’t finalise a deal that he felt worthy to support his young family.
“I have stopped looking as nothing has really worked out so I’ve decided to basically retire,” Turner said.
“I’ll take a year off and see what happens down the track.”
Turner, 27, will pursue a career change as a high school teacher, but he hasn’t ruled out a return to league in the future.
With no main income coming in, his wife and 11-month-old son Cheyse have been forced to relocate from Sydney to his NSW country town of Coonabarabran to survive.
“We couldn’t save any money or keep any money, so we thought it was best to come back home to the bush and spend some time with the family,” said Turner, who had a titanium plate inserted between his C5 and C6 vertebrae to try and repair damage done when he was crunched in a heavy tackle by Paul Gallen during the 2015 All Stars game.
“I’m just living at home and training by myself at least four times a week.
“It is good though because it is about 40 degrees every day, so I’ve been training pretty hard.
“I train at the local footy oval and I’ve also got a mate who has his own gym.
“It is more a waiting game and trying to stay fit enough because clubs are well and truly into their pre-season.”
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Turner isn’t the only NRL player without a contract heading into the 2020 season.
The likes of Michael Lichaa, Danny Fualalo, Jai Field, Billy Brittain and Javid Bowen are all on the lookout for a new deal.
Every NRL club is now restricted to owning a top squad of 30 players.
A further six development players are also eligible to play in the top grade in any given season but only after June 30.P
Players like Turner are being locked out because clubs can’t afford to carry them as back up players, simply because they can’t be used in the top grade.
After the most recent players’ collective bargaining agreement it was decided to look after the top squad and put white-out through the rest.
It was designed to stop clubs stockpiling stars and give greater player security.
Instead it has really created a rod for the NRL’s back.
Originally published as NRL premiership winner Kyle Turner retires after rejecting offer from Queanbeyan
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