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Rugby League

No more touring for Long

16/11/2006

Great Britain and St Helens scrum-half Sean Long has claimed that he will never tour again after returning home from the Tri-Nations under a cloud earlier this week.

The controversial star even suggested that he may call an end to the whole of his international career in the wake of his high-profile departure from the Australia.

"I definitely won't tour again. It's really hard to play that many games on the bounce. I'm not ruling out [playing for Great Britain again] yet," he said.

"I want to do my best at St Helens and I'll decide on that later down the line. Only time will tell."

Rumours of drinking or gambling problems and a fall-out with coach Brian Noble quickly spread as news of Long's return to the UK broke, but the 30-year-old claims he was simply exhausted by the Lions schedule.

"[There were] quite a number of things to be honest. I was missing my family back home. I was mentally and physically fatigued. It's been a long season for me at St Helens and I just felt like I was mentally and physically gone."

His team-mates face a difficult task to make the final of the competition having to avoid defeat against Australia this Saturday.

Long was man-of-the-match when the Lions beat the Kangaroos 23-12 on November 4th.

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