Price: club mishandled demotion

In his most open interview since losing the Warriors captaincy, Steve Price has talked honestly of his disappointment at losing the job, how he felt the club mishandled the situation and his anger at critics who say he should quit representative football.

And he also answers allegations that he really lost the captaincy because he had lost popularity with team-mates, telling the Sunday Star-Times in an extensive interview: "If the people supposedly involved said it, why not have the balls to come to me and say it? Because if it was an issue, couldn't we have sorted it out properly, instead of being gutless and going to the media and telling them? It's really weak, mate."

Price says he believes the club's official explanation why he lost the post – because it was time to start planning for the future with a younger skipper, Simon Mannering – but says it fell down on the PR front by not calling a formal press conference to announce the decision. The Warriors later decided to put Mannering, not Price, up for a press call and Price says he didn't want people to think "he had the shits".

"They thought it was making a bigger issue of the situation, but what I said was I think you will find it is a big issue, and if you don't think it is, I am glad I haven't got the job any more because I hold it in fairly high regard," Price says. "They said it wasn't that at all, but they didn't want people to make a bigger thing of it than what it was."

Price has also declared his intent to try to regain his Queensland and Australian jumpers in 2010, and is fuming at those who says he's too old to play rep footy and should focus on the Warriors. "I am an easy mark, an easy target," says Price. "What is the big issue?"

It is understood 2010 is likely to be Price's last season, but he has stopped short of saying he'll retire.

 PRICE REFUTES RUMOURS / B3

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