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Who are the hardest working big men in the NRL?
Injuries have forced Gold Coast prop and former Queensland and Australian representative David Shillington to end his NRL career, effective immediately.
The 33-year-old, struggling with a number of injuries in recent seasons, decided to call it quits on Thursday as he prepared for his ninth round of surgery.
“It’s not necessarily the way that you’d like to retire from the game but injuries are a part of it and it’s just all a bit much for me to continue putting my body through it,” Shillington said.
Since debuting for the Sydney Roosters in 2005, Shillington has played 215 games for the Tri-colours, Canberra and, most recently, the Titans.
After shifting to Gold Coast in 2016 after an injury-plagued final year at the Raiders, he managed just 11 games.
Shillington played 14 Tests for the Kangaroos and eight State of Origin matches for Queensland.
“I’ve had a great time in the game and it’s given me so much,” Shillington said.
“The people I’ve met along the way and the fun I’ve had, has given me plenty of great memories.”
Shillington will move into an ambassador role with the NRL on his retirement.
“David has been a quality rugby league player throughout his career but, more importantly, he’s been a good role model,” Titans coach Neil Henry said.
“Even throughout a tough season in 2016, he continued to help the younger players in and around training with their development.”
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Who are the hardest working big men in the NRL?
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