Guest Column - Keith Senior: I'm ready to prove decision to retire from international scene was right

HAVING been around a few years now, I'm used to getting wheeled out for press conferences.

It has been no different this week. So, here I am doing this column ahead of the World Club Challenge.

It's part of the job and it's always good to be involved in the big games.

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If that means doing some press then I'd rather do that and play in another final than not do an interview or two and miss out on facing Melbourne Storm at Elland Road.

Some sections of the press can be a bit of a pain in the backside, though, mixing up my words at times. They got totally mixed up before the season started when I was talking about the Crusaders.

I would just like to put the record straight.

I did not say the Crusaders should not be in Super League. The point I was making was that officials are supposed to be expanding the game yet they moved a club from south Wales to north Wales – only 30 miles from an already established team in Widnes, which defeats the object.

Anyway, as for the World Club Challenge, I'm really looking forward to it.

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I have packed in international football now so I know I won't have that many opportunities to get at the Australians any more.

Being a proud British man, it's always good to come up against them and, hopefully, we can get this victory over Melbourne on Sunday.

In Greg Inglis, they have a player regarded as the best in the world at the moment. He's a centre, like me. These are the types of games you get to test yourself in and it's something I relish; I'd love to have a bash at him.

Melbourne are dubbed the best team in the NRL and the proof's in the pudding.

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They have been in the Grand Final for the last four years and won two.

They've earned the right to be regarded as the best team in Australia as we have in England, winning the last three Super League titles.

It's going to be a great challenge to come up against them and we are all raring

to go.

We have been in a bit of a mess with some of our form recently but that's not necessarily a bad thing, and we have come up against some good teams.

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People are looking too much into our performances rather than the opposition we've been playing against; it's a bit disrespectful to the teams we've faced.

We know we can improve and that is something that will happen in this final.

It always brings an extra 10 or 15 per cent out in you when you perform in these games.

I've had ideal preparation as – after finishing with England – I've had my first off-season in 14 years.

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At the time, I wondered if I called it too early but I've enjoyed not playing the international game, getting rid of the knocks and sorting my body out.

As for next year, and whether I'll carry on with Leeds, nothing has been brought up yet but we've bigger fish to fry first.

We've got this game to win on Sunday and then, as the season goes on, we'll see how I progress and how the body holds up.

I'm doing some coaching courses for when I do eventually finish but I might think about becoming a referee – I get enough abuse from spectators as a player so it wouldn't make any difference if I'm in the middle getting it as a ref.

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I'm up to speed with the game and fitness side of things so I suppose it just comes down to all the rules and interpretations.

I don't know if it would be possible and it's a total different kettle of fish to playing, but who knows?

Don't miss tomorrow's Yorkshire Post for unrivalled build-up to Sunday's World Club Challenge between Leeds and Melbourne Storm.

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