International rugby league referee Sean Hampstead has retired after 290 first grade games - despite the move to two men in the middle for all NRL matches this year.

Hampstead, who controlled three State of Origin games and two Test matches, will be a video referee for Sunday's Sydney Roosters-South Sydney game at Sydney Football Stadium.

"I was going to go one more year but we had some discussions over the summer," Hampstead told AAP on Thursday.

"I'm going to be a video referee, I've retired completely from refereeing.

"I told them I didn't want a press release. I just wanted to go quietly."

There is speculation some Australian referees have shown interest in heading to the English Super League - the RFL advertised for whistlers - with one of the referees at the SFS on Sunday, Shayne Hayne, heavily linked to a move.

But Hampstead did not have the same option as he has a lucrative job with the police force in Sydney.

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