Warriors star Steve Price is devastated that his final NRL season will be spent sitting on the sidelines with his leg in a cast.

The international prop will go under the knife again on Friday in an attempt to solve a niggling ankle injury that took a turn for the worst 10 months ago.

"I got to a stage just before Christmas that was excruciating," Price told AAP on Tuesday.

He said the bone around his achilles had been "eaten away by the infection".

"That's what the pain was,", the 36-year-old said.

Earlier this season Price announced his 17th campaign would be his last and on Tuesday the popular Australian confirmed he won't be taking to the field in 2010.

"We've received an independent opinion from a doctor in the States and he's pretty much given us that advice that the only way it's going to get better is further surgery," Price said.

"I'll run out of weeks to play."

After 313 games in the NRL, 15 Tests for Australia and 28 games for Queensland, Price admitted it's not the ideal way to see out his epic career.

"It's devastating," the former Warriors skipper said.

"As the year's gone by, it has hurt a lot to have seen so many games this year, both from a Warriors perspective and then sit down and watch the Test match as well as the Origin.

"To not be a part of those games, and knowing that it is your last season - every game you miss is one you aren't going to get back.

"I've never wanted to be one of those players that does go on for too long.

"I would have always loved to have finished in good form ... and unfortunately it hasn't given me that chance at all.

"That will be a disappointment in my career, no doubt, not getting on the field this year."

Price played the first 11 seasons of his career with the Bulldogs before moving to the Warriors for the 2005 season.

The veteran, who hasn't missed a training session all year, said his absence from the field won't make too much of an impact on the Kiwi side, who are ninth on the NRL ladder.

"I don't know whether they would have wanted to me to play or they wouldn't have," he said.

"All it means is they've got more certainty now, they don't have to worry about me coming back.

"It's real now so they can just get on and do their job."

The 107kg Queenslander plans to stay in New Zealand for a couple of years before eventually relocating back to Australia with his wife and three children.

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