League: Johns undecided on longevity

Stacey Jones in action during a New Zealand Kiwis training run at Parramatta Stadium. Matt King / Getty Images

Kangaroos playmaker Andrew Johns believes a horror run with injury may well lengthen his National Rugby League (NRL) career, but is unsure whether it will extend to the representative arena.

Johns returns to the Australian team against New Zealand in Sydney tomorrow night, ending a two-year injury-enforced absence from the test fold.

The Newcastle halfback will remain with the Knights until the end of the 2008 NRL season after signing a new deal with the club this year, but his days playing for New South Wales and Australia could be over well before that.

"I'm probably going to assess it a little bit next year, see how I'm feeling, how I pull up probably after Origin," Johns said.

"It takes so much toll on your body physically, and I think everybody knows mentally and emotionally it really takes it out of you, so I'll see how I go next year."

Johns' uncertainty over his representative future means the upcoming trip to New Zealand and England for the Tri-Nations could be the 31-year-old's last tour with the Kangaroos.

Australian coach Wayne Bennett has already stated his desire to see Johns in an Australian strip until the 2008 World Cup, but the 18-test veteran said he could not commit to such a long-term plan.

"That's too far ahead, I don't really know if I'll play that long for my club team," Johns said.

"I'll just have to weigh it up and if I'm still playing and playing well and training hard ... and enjoying my footy, then who knows."

Any decision to end his representative career could have as much to do with Johns repaying a debt of gratitude to the Knights rather than fatigue.

He has been sidelined for extended periods in each of the last five NRL seasons, with his absence for much of this season having a big impact on the Knights finishing with their first wooden spoon.

Johns said it could be time to give something back to the club, with his disrupted programme over the last five years set to prolong his stay with the Knights.

"It showed, Brad Fittler a couple of years ago, he retired from rep footy and his club footy went through the roof," Johns said.

"The Knights have been good to me so I might have to repay them there.

"You look at some players who have been injured during their career, it extends their career. As long as I'm training hard and enjoying my footy there's no reason why I can't go on.

"I'm going to go on, I've signed up until 2008, so I'll be playing until then I suppose."

- AAP