Shattered skipper Steve Price has made one last sacrifice for his beloved Bulldogs, after succumbing to a knee injury that ruled him out of Sunday's NRL grand final.

In a massive blow to the Bulldogs' hopes of winning their first title since 1995, Price bravely accepted his fate in a bid to avoid further disrupting his side's countdown to the season decider against the Sydney Roosters at Telstra Stadium.

The decision ensured Price - who has been at the Canterbury club since 1994 - has played his last game for the Bulldogs after signing a three-year deal with the New Zealand Warriors from 2005.

He had high hopes of overcoming medial ligament damage in his left knee suffered in last weekend's preliminary final win over Penrith.

But despite countless hours in a hyperbaric chamber, Price, 30, said nothing could wake him from his "bad dream" which also ended his ambitions of being selected in the Tri-Nations series.

"It was probably one of the hardest things I've had to do. But you have to be realistic at some stage," Price said.

"I was probably never a chance but it took me so long to convince myself that I was going to be alright and that it was a bad dream, but it wouldn't go away.

"I was hopeful things might improve dramatically and there might be a few miracles along the way but unfortunately none of those came."

Price felt gradual improvement but admitted he would have been a liability against the Roosters.

"It came down to the team. It would have been very selfish if I had decided to play because I would have been more of a hindrance than a help," he said.

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