Widnes Vikings prop Ben Cross has announced that he is to retire at the end of the current Super League season.
The 34-year-old, who joined Widnes last year, has struggled with hamstring and knee injuries this season.
The Australian told the team's website: "I was really keen to play on in 2014 but having picked up a hamstring injury in the early part of the season, as luck would have it, I then did my knee in my first game back.
"If I'm honest it was then when I thought, enough's enough. I can come back from a minor injury but if it was anything more serious, I genuinely don't think that I've got the drive left in me to keep coming back from injury after injury.
"I'm a big believer that preparation leads to playing well and when you get injured and you can't train as often as you'd like every week, it's really frustrating and gets to you after a while. I'm really comfortable with the decision I've made and it's good to finally get it out in the open."
Cross previously had spells with Wigan Warriors and Leeds Rhinos after spending the earlier part of his career playing in Australia's NRL.
Sian Cowper
