He's thrown in the towel, but nice guy Price was never last

What a nice guy.
That's the overriding impression I'm left with after my chat with Steve Price.
His updated biography has just come out. I told his publisher 20 minutes would be long enough for an interview, but I could have talked to him all day. As it was I went over my allocated interview time by 15 minutes, which I pointed out to him as I reluctantly rounded off our chat. He gallantly accepted the blame.
"No worries, mate, my fault for talking so much."
You get the impression Price takes a lot on himself. He's that kind of guy - humble, honest, approachable and someone who will bust himself to do what's best for the team, all of which makes him such a good player, captain and role model - and leaves others describing him as inspirational.
Although he's happy to know he's had an impact on people, the inspirational tag doesn't sit comfortably with him. He gets a little embarrassed by compliments and is "totally humbled and blown away" by the effect he can have on the likes of sick children in hospital. He reckons they're the inspirational ones.
"I'm just Steve Price from Dalby who played a bit of footy," he says in that self depreciating way that only makes him more likeable.
Price laughs when I suggest he is probably New Zealand's favourite Australian.
Not only did he move his whole family here when he left the Bulldogs for the Warriors, he's staying on even after retiring from playing.
His three children are doing well here and his wife Jo, his high school sweetheart, has a teaching degree to finish, then some teaching to do before she can be registered.
"She's supported me my whole career, now it's my turn to do the same for her," say Price.
See? Nice guy.
Although Queensland "will always be home" and the Price family will eventually return there, for now they're happy to stay in New Zealand.
Of course, from a playing point of view, 2010 hasn't been a happy time for Price. He was sidelined with an ankle injury for which he recently had his third operation.
"It looks like we got it right this time ... we probably should have done this from the start," he explains, but accepts that's hindsight talking.
Although it was a "heart-wrenching" season, 2010 was also very satisfying for Price in other ways. His not being able to play opened up opportunities for other Warriors players he says are now developing into star players.
"With a negative, there's always a positive," he says graciously.
"There was always going to be a day when Steve Price wasn't going to be playing for the Warriors.
"This season is one I'll look back on as having learned a lot of lessons. You take a lot for granted when you play."
Price is now focused on simply staying healthy after the physical punishment he's put his body through for the past 17 years, during which he made 313 first grade appearances, played 16 tests and 28 State of Origin matches and won two NRL grand finals.
Despite not being able to finish his playing days on his own terms, Price is under no illusion about how fortunate he's been to live a boyhood dream.
"We used to play backyard footy, dreaming that one day we'd be playing professional ... when you actually get to do it, sometimes you have to pinch yourself."
He's enjoying spending more time with his family and being able to support Jo and their three children - 14-year-old Jamie-Lee, 12-year-old Kasey and 9-year-old Riley - in their endeavours.
And, of course, he'll be keeping a keen eye on the progress of the Warriors, a club he credits with having refreshed his career and one he believes has a "really exciting" future.
His own future is a bit of an unknown right now, but Price is okay with that. He has some speaking engagements and is involved with a programme in Queensland which aims to encourage young Aborigines to educate themselves.
Although not ruling anything out, Price says options like coaching the sport, which has been his passion since he was a boy, aren't a consideration right now.
"I haven't had a weekend in 17 years. For now I'd rather just watch the kids play their sports and support them. Soon they'll be shooting off doing their own stuff."
REVIEW
Steve Price: Be Your Best
with Ben Blaschke, Hodder Moa, $44.95
Grab yourself a cup of tea and get settled in your favourite chair - you're in for a treat.
Getting it from the horse's mouth always makes for a much more enjoyable read.
Steve Price, being the down-to-earth, honest bloke that he is, tells his story in his own words in typical humble fashion in this thoroughly enjoyable, updated version of his 2008 best-selling autobiography.
Reading his story, as told to Ben Blaschke, you'll feel like Price is sitting right there with you telling you how it is.
He saw the book as a chance to tell his story from his own point of view and perhaps set the record straight on a few things.
This is one of those books all can enjoy - a story about a man who has lived his boyhood dream and is under no illusions about just how lucky that makes him.
The revised edition has updates to original chapters plus new chapters on losing the Warriors captaincy this year, reaching 300 NRL games, the tragic death of up-and-coming Warriors star Sonny Fai and the devastation of missing out on playing the World Cup final because of injury. Then there's the infamous punch that knocked Price out of the 2009 State of Origin series and the chronic ankle injury which kept him from playing this year and his retirement from the game - his retirement from playing the game, that is. One gets the impression Price's story is far from over.