12 hours Ago By Max McKinney
Knights forward Tyson Frizell has made 258 NRL appearances, represented three nations and played 16 Origins for NSW. Login or signup to continue reading But from now on, his sole focus will be on Newcastle's NRL campaign. The back-rower on Thursday effectively announced his retirement from representative football.
It brings to an end an illustrious international career, which includes 14 Tests for Australia, five for Wales and three most recently for Tonga, who he represented in England late last year. Frizell represented NSW as recently as last year as well, playing two games, but that chapter will now also close. "I think I've called it quits on all my rep footy for now," Frizell said, speaking shortly after Newcastle's NRL and NRLW draws for 2025 were released .
"I've enjoyed my time playing representative footy, and international footy, and for me it's solely focusing on the Knights now." Asked the main reasons behind his decision to walk away form any further potential rep honours, Frizell said he thought his "time had come", highlighting the toll of playing at the highest level for so long. "I've played a lot of footy, and it does take a lot out of you playing a bit of rep footy towards the back end of the year," he said.
"It shortens your pre-season, and mentally I was probably just ready to call it quits." After turning 33 last month, Frizell is now preparing for what will be his 15 th NRL campaign next year. Along with Knights skipper Kalyn Ponga, and other top-flight players, he returned for his first day of pre-season training on Thursday, joining some of the club's rookies who have been sweating it out since early November.
Still contracted at the Knights for another two years, Frizell is a chance of reaching the prestigious 300-game milestone with Newcastle. Since becoming an established first-grader, over his past 12 NRL seasons, Frizell has averaged about 21 games per year. Should he continue that trend, and play on at the club in the second year of his remaining contract term, he would be on track to play his 300 th match late in the 2026 season.
But ever the team-man, it's a mark he has given little thought to, preferring collective achievements over any individual accolade. "I'll get through this year and see how I go," he said. "If I it gets to that stage, it would be nice - but I'm not personally chasing that goal.
"It's one foot in front of the other, and play as many games as I can, and play as well as I can for as long as I can." After touring England with Tonga late last year, Frizell returns earlier this pre-season than the last. Newcastle's second-most experienced player, he is a welcome addition for coach Adam O'Brien to the mostly youthful group of players already training.
Frizell said plenty had changed over the years since he started slugging it out over the warmer months of the year at his first NRL club Cronulla, where he played 12 games across 2011-12, and his second the Dragons, where he made 165 appearances. "A lot of boys are a lot fitter these days," he said. "Coming into training and getting amongst it, there's quite a standard at the moment that probably wasn't there .
.. when I first started.
"Just with times and the way boys are coming back into pre-season in quite good nick. "It keeps you on your toes, and it's good to see." Max McKinney is a sports reporter with the Newcastle Herald.
He previously worked in news, covering mainly local government and transport. Max mostly reports on the Newcastle Knights, but also covers a mix of local sport. Max McKinney is a sports reporter with the Newcastle Herald.
He previously worked in news, covering mainly local government and transport. Max mostly reports on the Newcastle Knights, but also covers a mix of local sport. DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team.
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