Josh Jones: Former Great Britain, St Helens & Salford back-rower retires due to concussion issues
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Josh Jones' form in 2019 earned him recognition in the Super League Dream Team and a Great Britain call-up
Former Great Britain player Josh Jones has retired from professional rugby league because of concussion-related issues.
The 30-year-old was released by Huddersfield this month and steps away from the game having scored 55 tries in 283 senior games.
Jones was a Super League winner with St Helens in 2014 and played in a Grand Final with Salford five years later.
His performances in 2019 earned him a Great Britain call-up by Wayne Bennett.
During the Lions' tour of New Zealand and Papua New Guinea, which also took in a game against a Tonga side, Jones played three times.
"After a tough 18 months I have made the difficult decision to retire from professional rugby league," he posted on social media on Tuesday., external
"I want to start by thanking everyone who has supported me throughout my rugby league career, I've made some unbelievable memories and I thank everyone who made that possible."
After coming through the ranks at Leyland Warriors, Jones was signed by Saints and became a first-team regular before having a short-lived stint in union with Exeter.
The move to Salford on his return to league saw him develop as a powerful, wide-running back-rower and a left-edge partnership with half-back Jackson Hastings, in particular, brought about six tries in 33 games in 2019 and a Super League Dream Team selection as the Red Devils reached Old Trafford.
He spent a Covid-affected season at Hull in 2020, before reuniting with his old Salford boss Ian Watson at Huddersfield, where head injury concerns eventually curtailed his career after nine tries in 51 games.