Retirement plan: Barrett off the market
Trent Barrett's manager has told two NRL clubs the NSW five-eighth is off the market for 2011 because he will be retiring.
Manager Wayne Beavis has told current club Cronulla and suitors Canberra the off-contract Sharks skipper will hang up his boots at the end of 2010.
The 32-year-old, who was called into the Blues side for State of Origin II next Wednesday, said this week he was leaning towards ending his career but would make a final call after the representative season.
The Raiders had hoped to entice Barrett, about to become a father of four, to play on for another year with their proximity to his home town of Temora.
"We've been told he's retiring and moving back to the country," Canberra CEO Don Furner told AAP on Friday.
"We would love to have him for a year just to give his experience to those young guys but we've been told he's retiring."
Beavis confirmed that was the case.
"Correct ... we've declined their approach at this stage," he told AAP.
"He's playing at Cronulla, we wouldn't do the wrong thing by Cronulla, we've told them we'd be retiring.
"If we weren't going to retire we'd certainly go and talk to Cronulla and we can't be out there blowing trumpets with other clubs, that would be totally the wrong thing to do.
"The indication at this stage is he will be retiring.
"If in a week's time he changes his mind, I'm happy to run with that but at this stage I'm not out fielding offers or promoting the idea that Trent Barrett will be playing 2011."
Meanwhile, the Raiders are hoping to finalise a two-year deal with forgotten man Justin Carney.
The tryscoring 21-year-old suffered a badly-broken leg last year and it has been slow progress in his comeback through Queensland Cup feeder side Souths Logan.
"He's been back playing now and getting his fitness right but he wouldn't be far away from nudging in there," Furner said.
"He puts weight on quickly but he's just got to train and he's not far off, we're trying to get him to play 80 minutes for Souths Logan."
Furner said the deal had been delayed by an illness to Carney's grandfather, causing the talented winger to make frequent visits back to his hometown of Nyngan.
"We've been talking to his manager and put offers through and we're waiting for him to get back to us," he said.
"Because he's had this time at home, he didn't want to talk to him while he was still with his family.
"We're just waiting to speak to his manager after he thinks about a few things at home."
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