He said: “It’s not about missing Newcastle matches, it’s more about what’s best for Australia and for me.
“I want to play at Newcastle for as long as I can but it’s a big ask to play for Australia.
“It’s not like playing for a European country — there’s a lot of travelling involved.
“The travelling takes its toll as you get older. When you come back from Australia your whole body clock is turned around and that’s when you can pick up injuries.”
