The after-effects of Beauden's concussion against Ireland in November were so bad that the mercurial playmaker thought his career could be over as he was dogged by migraines and tiredness.
So why take these brain risks with the rest of your life?
At his best, Barrett was just about the greatest thing I've seen on a rugby field. He's reached the 100-test mark, won a World Cup, experienced all the highs and some of the lows, and at nearly 31 is heading into the twilight playing years anyway.
Beauden Barrett in action for the Blues against the Highlanders. Photo / Photosport
Maybe premature retirement is a harder decision to make when you have reached such amazing heights.
Or maybe the last World Cup and his doubters stick in Barrett's craw.
But Barrett needs to know he has been an amazing part of the national game, has a lot of fans, and can exit with his hopefully healthy head held high.
It's hard to get across to youngish people just how quickly life goes, how precious it is. They feel bullet proof, even under fire.
WINNERS…and too much so
The battered All Whites are through to the Oceania World Cup qualifying final but the semifinal victory over Tahiti was not a pretty sight.
New Zealand football deserves so much more than remaining plonked in the horrible Oceania zone.
To use a bit of old football terminology, Tahiti tried to kick the All Whites out of the semifinal in Qatar. They offered just about nothing football wise.
Despite the demise of our domestic football, New Zealand is starting to produce players in and around some of the best leagues in the world. There is so much potential in New Zealand football.
But it needs to be dragged upwards, not downwards.
No offence, but we are too good for the Oceania zone, which has become a sporting ghetto since Australia escaped to Asia.
Which is not to say New Zealand is not susceptible to the odd shock loss, because that's how football goes.
There was a prime example of that in recent days: Italy plummeted out of the World Cup finals again, after losing at home to North Macedonia.
But there should be aspirations beyond Oceania for the All Whites. They have the goods whereas - sadly - the other teams in this region simply don't have the resources to get any better.
New Zealand Football needs to dream bigger dreams, and Fifa needs to promote that.
WINNER: Liberato Cacace
Liberato Cacace in action. Photo / Photosport
There are a few candidates for New Zealand's most underrated sports star, and Cacace - scorer of the All Whites' goal against Tahiti - would be one of them.
I polled New Zealand football identities a couple of years ago to come up with our greatest All Whites combo. Cacace got plenty of mentions, even though he had only played a couple of senior internationals at the time.
Some of those in the know knew all about him, but he doesn't have a big profile outside football.
The outstanding attacking left back, who is on loan at an Italian Serie A club, is a gem and an All White great in the making.
Let's also hope he somehow gets a contract in the glamour, high-profile English Premier League.
LOSERS: Bob Carter and the White Ferns
National women's cricket coach Bob Carter didn't sound disappointed enough on announcing he was standing down after the Ferns crashed out of their World Cup.
His media interview sounded more like a job interview than a national coach speaking to the nation.
World tournaments are not development projects, which is what Carter halfway made it sound like. They are an all or nothing deal, and almost the last ones left in a PR-dominated, excuse-soaked sports world.
The moderately rated White Ferns had enough very good and experienced players to go on a magical run in home conditions. They bombed.
WINNERS: Moana Pasifika
Moana Pasifika players celebrate their first win in Super Rugby. Photo / Photosport
Congratulations to the Pasifika side for their first Super Rugby victory, over the Hurricanes. They will get a decent shot of confidence but there should still be plenty of fears for their long-term future when the competition resumes properly after the Covid-forced mess.
If the team is to continue, there needs to be a surge of genuine support on many levels, to ensure they don't just limp along from year to year.
WINNERS: World sports stars
This has been one of sport's finest hours, with boxing greats Vladimir and Vitali Klitschko, and Gary Kasparov - probably the greatest chess player of all time - at the forefront of Ukraine's fight against the evil Vladimir Putin.
Between them, they have shown extraordinary intelligence, poise and courage.
Russian Kasparov is a long-time critic of Putin - if only we had trusted more in his warnings.
Kasparov perfectly predicted what would happen and why a long time ago.
But the West had too many financial reasons not to listen, which is also probably why the International Olympic Committee has failed to deal properly with Russia's blatant disregard for rules banning performance enhancing drugs.
LOSERS: The Warriors
Okay, they beat the awful Wests Tigers.
But the Warriors are playing so badly that coach Nathan Brown - in his second season at the club - must already be skating on thin ice.
WINNER: Ash Barty
Imagine, having the nous and wherewithal to retire as a world number one at the age of 25.
Australia's tennis ace has made a smart play, in terms of having a varied and interesting life rather than being dragged into the endless tennis touring humdrum.
Maybe she sensed the mental torment which might lay ahead, the boredom of doing the same thing over and over again. Maybe she just wanted a bit of fun, away from the limelight.
Or maybe - as a young man I know told his dad - she just didn't want to work as long and as hard as previous generations thought was mandatory.
She obviously sees herself as something more than just a tennis player.
Barty achieved her tennis dreams and walked away, although for my money she lacked some charisma for a world number one. The X-factor is an elusive quality.
