You've agreed to terms with Australian Rugby and with the Waratahs...how long will you be staying in rugby?
I've signed a 5 year contract which will take me past the 2011 World Cup.

How are you feeling now it's all over?
I'm feeling relieved now that it's all over. The night after the decision it took me quite a while to get to sleep and then the followng night I slept beautifully - didn't wake up at all until my son Samson jumped on my bed. It was the first time in a while that I've been able to relax and sleep like that, a weight off my shoulders.

What was the hardest thing about the process?
The hardest thing was dealing with the perception that I was dragging it on. The fans were losing patience with me thinking I was taking my time to weigh up all different offers and make up my mind. The reality is that between December and last Wednesday, I didn't have an offer on the table from the ARU so that public perception was difficult. The media scrutiny was also intense. I think the timing had quite a bit to do with the added attention as there wasn't a lot going on in Australian sport with it being off-season for all the Australian football codes.

How close were you to going to the Reds?
Very close. I had a number of good conversations with Eddie Jones who I have a good relationship with and there were a lot of attractions about moving back to Queensland where I am from originally. Both sets of grandparents are still up in Brisbane and so it was an inviting offer to go back to enjoy having those support networks and family benefits. The Reds also have some of the best youngsters in Australian rugby coming through and should be a real force in a couple of years.

What about Rugby League?
I was very close and considered Souths very seriously. Both Peter Holmes-a Court and Russell Crowe are successful in their own right and are working really hard at building a successful culture at Souths. I liked the way they did things and Souths are only on their way up. League has always been there for me having played it as a young bloke.

How did your Waratah Team mates react to your decision?
I got a lot of text messages that night and high fives and handshakes at training the next day. I think they were as relieved as me that it was all over as they had to put up with the rollercoaster as well. We have a tight culture of honesty at the Tahs so the feedback to me from the guys throughout the process had been really positive and honest.

Some of the media has reported that they thought the process was affecting your ability to focus on the field. Is this fair?
Perhaps it was affecting me subconsciously in some way but I didn't feel like I was any less focussed on the game. To some extent I actually think it made me more focussed, particularly in South Africa when I was able to get away from it for a couple of weeks.

There have also been reports that you may be considered for the Wallaby captaincy leading towards 2011. Is this something you aspire to?
That's a long way off and there a lot of hurdles to cross before then but it is certainly something I wouldn't knock back if it came. I was lucky enough to get the joint vice captaincy with George Smith against Italy in Rome on the Spring Tour and really enjoyed the responsibility and leadership. I enjoy taking that role on the field and would be very happy to take it on again. I'm in rugby for the long haul now so the possibility of captain gives me something else to focus on and another aspect of my game to work on.

You have mentioned that Wayne Bennett has been a great influence in your decision making. Was he involved in this latest decision?
He wasn't involved directly but I do use Wayne as a great sounding board. I spoke to him a few days before I made my decision mainly about what is best for my family and the effects of being away from my extended family and close support networks in Brisbane. He told me that being away for another 5 years would not have a massive impact on family in the long run and to follow my gut and my instincts, which I have done.

What would you like to say to those rugby fans out there now that the decision is made?
I'm really pleased and committed to rugby for the next 5 years and genuinely believe that the Wallabies and Waratahs are going places. I am determined to put them both back in the number one position from 2007 and beyond. Thanks to everyone for their patience during the rollercoaster of the last few months and I'm looking forward to the future.