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Veteran frontrower Steve Price is adamant he wants to continue playing representative rugby league next year.
Price, who turns 36 at the start of the new NRL season in March, said the New Zealand Warriors hadn't talked to him about the issue, but State of Origin and Test football remained a goal for him.
"Of course, when I'm playing in the NRL I want to play for Queensland and Australia," he said.
"You have to be able to play the footy to do that. From the Warriors' perspective, you'd say you want that to happen, wouldn't you? If I'm not able to play the football, I won't be in the Warriors' team anyway. I can't see it being a negative for the club."
In a shock move by the Warriors last month, Price was replaced as skipper by second rower Simon Mannering.
While the club have said otherwise, there have been suggestions that Price's wish to continue with representative football might have been a reason for the decision.
Injuries and State of Origin commitments limited Price to 14 NRL appearances this year and Ivan Cleary indicated in August that Price's representative commitments would be discussed with him.
However, Price said on Thursday that, of the matches he missed through injury, only one was because of representative duty - when he was stood down after being floored by a punch in Origin 3.
"So I don't know what the big issue about injuries from playing rep footy is," he said.
"I've missed one game in the last 10 years from rep footy and that was this year."
Although it's been five weeks since the captaincy change, it was still an unusual sight when Mannering rather than Price took the microphone during a function the Warriors attended at which Vodafone announced it was continuing as principal sponsor until the end of 2014.
There also remained a tone of disappointment in Price's reply when he was asked about losing the job, which ended eight years as a club skipper, firstly with the Bulldogs and then the Warriors, but he said it was a case now looking ahead.
"It's something I enjoyed doing, but they made a decision so let's move on," he said.
"It doesn't change how I approach next season. You have to play as well as you can every week. Now I'll be able to do that with a few less worries and just get on and have a good year."
Injury meant Price wasn't available for selection for the end-of-season Four Nations tournament in England and France and he had heel surgery instead.
However, he then picked up an infection while on holiday, which has meant an adjustment to his pre-season training regime, but he expected to be at 100 percent for the trial matches in February.
"While the infection is a setback, the staff are doing a great job," he said.
"I've still been able to do a lot of training and the plan is to be ready when everything is ready to go."
Price, who turns 36 at the start of the new NRL season in March, said the New Zealand Warriors hadn't talked to him about the issue, but State of Origin and Test football remained a goal for him.
"Of course, when I'm playing in the NRL I want to play for Queensland and Australia," he said.
"You have to be able to play the footy to do that. From the Warriors' perspective, you'd say you want that to happen, wouldn't you? If I'm not able to play the football, I won't be in the Warriors' team anyway. I can't see it being a negative for the club."
In a shock move by the Warriors last month, Price was replaced as skipper by second rower Simon Mannering.
While the club have said otherwise, there have been suggestions that Price's wish to continue with representative football might have been a reason for the decision.
Injuries and State of Origin commitments limited Price to 14 NRL appearances this year and Ivan Cleary indicated in August that Price's representative commitments would be discussed with him.
However, Price said on Thursday that, of the matches he missed through injury, only one was because of representative duty - when he was stood down after being floored by a punch in Origin 3.
"So I don't know what the big issue about injuries from playing rep footy is," he said.
"I've missed one game in the last 10 years from rep footy and that was this year."
Although it's been five weeks since the captaincy change, it was still an unusual sight when Mannering rather than Price took the microphone during a function the Warriors attended at which Vodafone announced it was continuing as principal sponsor until the end of 2014.
There also remained a tone of disappointment in Price's reply when he was asked about losing the job, which ended eight years as a club skipper, firstly with the Bulldogs and then the Warriors, but he said it was a case now looking ahead.
"It's something I enjoyed doing, but they made a decision so let's move on," he said.
"It doesn't change how I approach next season. You have to play as well as you can every week. Now I'll be able to do that with a few less worries and just get on and have a good year."
Injury meant Price wasn't available for selection for the end-of-season Four Nations tournament in England and France and he had heel surgery instead.
However, he then picked up an infection while on holiday, which has meant an adjustment to his pre-season training regime, but he expected to be at 100 percent for the trial matches in February.
"While the infection is a setback, the staff are doing a great job," he said.
"I've still been able to do a lot of training and the plan is to be ready when everything is ready to go."
Im sorry but that is a bit of bull shit. You still give it everything without playing rep footy. All the Kiwi guys who aren't able to play S of O do!
Its selfish and I think it's fairly clear why he's lost the captaincy. As for the stuff about his injuries not being a result of rep games, bollocks! He's 35 he should be putting the club that pays him first. Any injury caused by rep football is one too many when you're in his position.
He is making it increasingly hard to like him now.
