PAUL "the Chief" Harragon has declared it's game over after 14 years on Channel Nine's ailing NRL Footy Show.
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Following news the rugby league program would undergo a massive overhaul for 2009 after it recorded its worst-ever ratings in 2008, the former Newcastle Knight said yesterday he had no choice but to quit.
"It was just one of those things," Harragon said.
"Channel Nine were good enough to offer me a new contract for this year but I just knew it was time to move on.
"It was a good contract but it was a change from what I was used to doing."
Harragon's departure follows Peter Sterling's exit in 2007, and comes after The Footy Show suffered its worst ratings slump on record.
Paul "Fatty" Vautin and former Knight Matthew Johns will be the only permanent panel members this year.
Guests will be invited to fill the gaps each week, but the Chief has ruled out any chance of a guest return.
"The Footy Show is really important for the game, more than people can ever imagine," he said. "If The Footy Show is not doing well the game isn't doing well.
"But I've been through all that stuff and when you call it a day, it's a day. It feels like a natural end for me."
Looking back on his long tenure with the show, the Chief said he had "enjoyed the ride", but looked forward to what lay ahead. "It marks a new era in my life," he said.
More time will now be devoted to his role as a Knights board member, endorsement commitments with NIB and Subway, and to business ventures including the Duke of Wellington Hotel at New Lambton.
"I've got enough to sink my teeth into," he said.
Most important would be spending more time with his young family.
"The kids used to get a bit upset about driving to Sydney all the time so they're happy, and I must say I won't miss driving that road to and from Sydney three times a week," he said.
