Peter Sterling, for so long the face and voice of the NRL, is determined to end his time behind the microphone with a bit of fun this Sunday.
Parramatta great Sterling, a four-time premiership winner, will end 30 years on television when he helps call this weekend’s grand final between South Sydney and Penrith in Brisbane.
The 61-year-old has been doing the media rounds across the Tasman, testimony to his standing in the game he starred in as a halfback, representing New South Wales an Australia on the back of his deeds with the Eels.
He has brought a mix of authority and humour to his TV role with his analysis highly-respected.
He intends to keep to the same successful recipe for his send-off.
“I’ve tried not to think about it too much. I must admit this last week has snuck up on me a little bit,” Sterling told Melbourne’s SEN radio.
“What I’ve made certain of is to enjoy (this last week). I made the decision back before Origin to retire, so it’s been a number of months now.
“I was hell-bent of making sure that I did what I’ve done since day one in the media and that’s just having a good time.
“I’m the luckiest person in the world, when you wake up and you’re looking forward to what you’re going to do for the rest of the day it never feels like work.”
Sterling said rugby league had been his life and he had made the most of it.
“I played for 15 years in Sydney and I’ve had 30 years now in the media. I’m 61, (so) that’s 45 years and that’s something I could never have imagined or hoped for and it’s been fun since day one,” he told SEN.
Sterling told Brisbane radio station 4BC there were other things in life he now wanted to do.
“It was just time for me … I’ve had a ball,” he said.
“I’m just at the stage now where I’m thinking physically I might have another good 10, 15 years in me. There’s just too much I want to do.
“It’s just time to not be watching eight games every week and to just put my energy elsewhere.
“I’m just going to really enjoy it and then when I hang up the microphone I’m looking to put the same kind of energy in what is next for me.
“And that’s family, that’s travel, playing more golf and those kinds of things.”
