Ray Stone chose to finish his NRL career to spend more time with his family as his children grew older.
"The kids are getting a bit older and I am quite busy on weekends so I want to be a part of that," he said before the preliminary final.
The 29-year-old played 31 minutes off the bench in the Dolphins' 36-20 loss to the Roosters at Suncorp Stadium on Friday night.
The result ended the Dolphins' season and the 113-game forward's career, as the Roosters advanced to the NRL grand final.
Stone played 31 NRL games for Parramatta and 82 for the Dolphins, and had announced last month he would retire after the finals campaign.
Cameron Smith praised Stone's consistency, saying: "He doesn't come up with a lot of flash plays but he's there every time the team needs him. Whether it's to carry the ball or make a tackle. Those players are the cornerstone of any football team."
Billy Slater said: "They're the players that teammates want to stand beside, you know exactly what you're going to get from them. All effort."
Dolphins coach Kristian Woolf called Stone one of the game's toughest players and praised his commitment to teammates.
"There are a lot of tough men who play the game but he is in the top group," Woolf said.
"It is not just his toughness, it's his commitment to the team that I really admire.
"He is just a guy who refuses to let his teammates down. It doesn't matter if it is playing injured, he is making an effort on a kick-chase, getting into a tackle or a carry.
"I love his hit-ups off the kick-off. I get a kick out of watching those because he runs so hard. He is just committed to the team. That is what we are going to miss."