The troubled all-rounder Andrew Symonds has revealed that watching a rugby league between NSW and Queensland in a pub with beer and returning late after the practice has forced the national selectors to take a hard decision on him.

"I love Origin football and for me, with Origin football comes a few beers. I was wrapped up in watching football and then when I got back (from the pub) I knew then (my career was over)," Symonds revealed in an interview.
"It takes it out of you, a little bit at a time. Then there's the build-up from that, and then, boom," Symonds said.

"I sit back now and I look at it and I think at some point I was going to blow, gonna bust. Whether it was now, or whether it was in two months time," he added.

When questioned about fans frustration he replied "Yeah I can, because I know how desperately I wanted to play for Australia," he said.

"Still to this day I realize how lucky I am (to have played for Australia)."

But the burly Queenslander insisted he was not an alcoholic.

"I would drink too much, too fast, too quickly. I admit that too fast, too much became not too good to be around ... aggressive," he said.