'Didn't come from me': Peter Sterling hits back over retirement bombshell
Rugby league great Peter Sterling has denied suggestions he was "gagged" by Channel Nine from announcing his decision to quit his commentary role with Channel Nine.
League fans were left shocked and saddened this week after it emerged that Sterling would be hanging up the microphone at the end of the current season.
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The Parramatta Eels legend has been a mainstay of rugby league commentary in Australia for the last 27 years, following a career that saw him regarded as one of the best halfbacks of all time.
Reports emerged through the week that Channel Nine were filthy about news of Sterling's departure getting out and that it had come from competitors and not one of the network's many media arms.
Speaking for the first time since news of his retirement was reported, Sterling says he'd spoken to bosses at Nine some time ago about the decision, but denied suggestions they had "gagged" him about going public with it.
“I certainly haven’t been gagged,” Sterling told the Sydney Morning Herald.
“When you see headlines with quotation marks (that) I’ve been gagged – now that didn’t come from me and hasn’t come from management.
Sterling also moved to clarify suggestions that his exit paved the way for him to take up a coaching role with his beloved Parramatta Eels.
“I haven’t spoken to anyone about doing any coaching at the Eels, which somebody reported. My relationship with Parramatta is very special to me," he added.
Sterling won four premierships with Parramatta as a player, before forging a career in the media, where he worked alongside fellow great Paul 'Fatty' Vautin on league's The Footy Show over two decades.
It was also widely reported that his decision to step aside from the commentary role centred around paving the way for the younger brigade of callers at the network to step up - including Brad Fittler, Andrew Johns, Billy Slater, Cameron Smith and Paul Gallen.
Peter Sterling hoses down radio links
Sterling has been linked with commentary and NRL analysis roles on various radio stations but the 61-year-old says there is little substance to those reports.
“I’m retiring. I’m not looking for more work. That conjecture disappointed me,” Sterling said.
“I have another year on my contract at Nine and they asked would I reconsider. I’m also not leaving to open up things for younger people; they can make their own way.
“It’s purely a personal decision that it is the right time to walk away from something that has given me absolutely everything. It’s now the right time to give everything elsewhere.
“Turning 61, I guess I felt like I’d have maybe 15 good years physically to direct my energy into other things, mainly family and eventually the opportunity to travel. You know, I’ve never been able to see Europe in their summer because of 30 seasons of working in our winter.
“It’s just about steering my energy away from watching eight (NRL) games every week. I just want to do those things now while I can. If I want to walk up the steps of Machu Picchu, I don’t think it’s the type of thing I could put off much longer.”
With legendary fellow caller Ray Warren also close to hanging up the microphone after admitting that he came close to retiring in 2020, Sterling's departure is set to usher in a new era for Channel Nine's rugby league commentary team, with NRL Immortal Wally Lewis reportedly unlikely to have his contract renewed and rugby league host Erin Molan is off contract at the end of 2021.
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