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Nightingale's shot at fairytale NRL finish

This NRL season will be the last for St George Illawarra's Jason Nightingale as the one-club stalwart retires from rugby league.

Jason Nightingale
Jason Nightingale is hoping for a fairytale swansong in his last NRL season. (AAP)

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Source: AAP


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It would be the dream way to finish one of the greatest careers in St George Illawarra history.

Should the Dragons play every week leading to this year's grand final, veteran Jason Nightingale will retire equal with club great Ben Hornby's record of 273 games in the Red V.

And Hornby believes it will be a fitting way for Nightingale to end his career.

"It'd be very nice. Obviously we'd all love to be successful this year so if we could get there, it'd be great for Jase to finish on that note," Hornby said on Friday.

"I think he deserves that.

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"He's been a great person for the club, great teammate and that's going to be sorely missed."

The Dragons on Friday announced Nightingale would hang up his boots at the end of the season, ending a 12-year career that sees him finish as a rare one-club player.

The 31-year-old said he had decided last year that this season would be his last and was buoyed by the additions of veterans over the summer.

"I remember finishing last season, I rang a few people going, 'This'll be it'," Nightingale said.

"It also helped that we added a couple of people that made me feel a bit younger in James Graham, Jeremy Latimore, and even Benny Hunt, who'd been around for a while.

"The enjoyment that I got from spending time with this group we've got this year, all of a sudden it made me question, 'Actually, do I want to let this go?"

But despite the club offering him a one-year deal to play on in 2019, Nightingale made the final call six weeks ago before confirming with the club this week.

He will retire as the last remaining member of the club's 2010 premiership, when he scored two second-half tries as they thrashed the Sydney Roosters 32-8 in the grand final.

He has scored 110 tries so far and also represented New Zealand in 33 Tests.

As for signing off with a premiership, Nightingale admitted the current side had been weighed down by title expectations after such strong form earlier this year.

The Dragons have been first for most of this season but have lost four of their past five and are suddenly in danger of dropping out of the all-important top four.

"The weight of those expectations lately have got to us a bit. But that was created because we were a confident team playing well," Nightingale said.

"The pressure is a privilege and we need to be able to embrace that and perform because we have the potential and we've done it before.

"If we do that, we do have the side to go all the way."


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