Former Orange CYMS, Bathurst St Pat's, Mudgee Dragons and now Bathurst Panthers prop Simon Osborne has retired mid-season.
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The representative star torn the meniscus in his left knee during his side’s round one win over Lithgow at Carrington Park.
The 36-year-old tried to play on with the injury in round two, his side’s 22-16 loss to CYMS, but couldn’t push through the pain barrier.
Something he’s done countless times for a raft of clubs throughout a stellar career in Group 10, Newcastle and Penrith.
“My left knee is my good knee, too,” Osborne laughed.
“But I couldn’t really work the next week and I’ve got my own business now.
“A few people, everyone really, tried to get me to change my mind, maybe even dial things back a bit and play 40 minutes inside of 80, but that’s not me.
“If I can’t give it 110 per cent than it’s not worth doing.”
Osborne won two premierships since he started playing as an 11-year-old.
And he had to wait over 20 years to net his first, claiming a title with Brothers in the Penrith competition in 2014.
The next year he moved to Orange and signed with CYMS, where he helped the green and golds win the 2015 Group 10 premiership in a thriller against Lithgow at Wade Park.
In a post on the CYMS rugby league club’s Facebook page, the club described Osborne as being “among the toughest and most committed footballers we have seen (at) CYMS in our 76 year history”.
A fair rap, but one most in Group 10 would no doubt agree with.
Physically imposing and boasting a motor better than most props, Osborne was widely regarded as one of the toughest props to play in Group 10 having run out with Mudgee, St Pat’s, Panthers and CYMS.
The highly regarded and widely respected gun said his career highlight was being named in the 2009 NSW Residents outfit.
He said it was a tough decision to pull up stumps on a glittering career that’s included representing Group 10, Western Division and NSW Country, but at the end of the day it’s the right one for him.
“The body lets you know when it’s time,” he said.
Having played some of his best years in Group 10, he played in grand final teams with Panthers in 2005 and with Mudgee in 2010 on top of helping CYMS to the 2015 grand final and then 2016 decider, where the club lost to Mudgee, Osborne said he’s looking forward to seeing how the rest of 2017 pans out.
He said CYMS is the obvious choice to win another title this winter, but having spent the pre-season with the men in black, he thinks something special is brewing at Carrington Park.
“They’re a really close-knit club at Panthers, and having had that finals experience last season, I think they can go on with it this season,” he said.