Kris Radlinski's retirement from the game at 29 has come as a big shock to me. He will be an enormous loss to the game.
 Radlinski has been at the top for more than a decade |
He is the most genuine person you could hope to meet; he doesn't have an ego.
He is down to earth and has time for anybody. He welcomed the new lads into the GB squad with open arms. He was very caring and easy to get to know.
Often coming into new squads at international level can be quite daunting, but having Kris around made it so much easier for a lot of the younger lads.
He certainly made me feel very welcome when I came into representative squads, and I looked up to him as a role model.
Kris is a fantastic bloke, but he was also a tremendous player.
In terms of the modern day full-back he has been absolutely outstanding, with every attribute you could want.
I would rate him as the best full-back of the Super League era, just a tower of strength for both Wigan and Great Britain.
He was great under the high ball and pretty good attacking-wise.
But what really set him apart was his defensive game. I viewed him as the best defensive full-back in the world.
What also stood out for me was the way his genuine love for the sport shone through everything.
It's common knowledge that he received some lucrative offers from rugby union but he always talked about his love of league and you can see that in the way he played and went about things.
It will be a sad loss to the game and he will surely missed by the Wigan team.
I would hope he has a future in the sport in some capacity - he has so much to offer and I think he would make an excellent coach.
Super League doesn't stand still though and the competition really is stronger than ever this season.
 |  Everyone wants to go to a sporting event and have a bit of doubt about who is going to win |
I really believe that any team can knock any other off on their day if they perform well enough.
We're not talking about the top four or five, but about all 12 teams. There aren't many other sports that can much us for that.
Everyone wants to go to a sporting event and have a bit of doubt about who is going to win. I think that is the way the sport is going.
The salary cap has had a big say in that and the way clubs have brought on young talent, the way they are recruiting and the coaching methods that are being used.
The surprises we have already had this season and the unpredictable results are good for the sport. We don't want one team running away with it.
MMIX
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