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Paul Gallen

Personal information
Full name	Paul Mark Gallen
Born	(1981-08-14) 14 August 1981 (age 43) Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Height	180 cm (5 ft 11 in)
Weight	102 kg (16 st 1 lb)
Playing information
Position	Lock, Prop, Second-row
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P 2001–19 Cronulla Sharks 348 63 2 1 257 Representative Years Team Pld T G FG P 2006 NSW City 2 0 1 0 2 2006–16 New South Wales 24 1 1 0 6 2006–07 Prime Minister's XIII 2 0 0 0 0 2008–16 Australia 32 3 0 0 12 2011–12 NRL All Stars 2 0 0 0 0
As of 31 May 2021
Paul Gallen Statistics Rated at Heavyweight Height 180 cm Reach 180 cm Stance Orthodox Boxing record Total fights 18 Wins 15 Wins by KO 8 Losses 2 Draws 1

Paul Gallen (born 14 August 1981) is an Australian former professional rugby league player and a retired professional boxer. He played as a lock, prop (lock) and second-row (second-row) forward. Paul captained the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in the NRL to their first-ever NRL Premiership win in 2016.

He was also a captain for the New South Wales State of Origin team. Paul was the vice-captain for the Australian national team. He spent his entire NRL career with the Sharks. In 2018, he was the oldest player in the NRL. He shares a record with Cameron Smith for playing 19 seasons in the NRL.

Early Life and Junior Rugby League

Paul Gallen played junior rugby league for the Wentworthville Magpies. He was part of the Parramatta Eels junior system. He played in the S. G. Ball Cup but was not chosen by the Eels. Gallen then signed with the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks. He later said that he wasn't given a real chance at Parramatta. He decided to move to another club.

Rugby League Career Highlights

Starting His NRL Journey: 2001–2003

In June 2001, Paul Gallen made his NRL debut. He played for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks against the Parramatta Eels. This was in Round 15 at Toyota Park. Cronulla lost that game 36 to 6. He played one more game that season. The Sharks won that game against the Brisbane Broncos.

Gallen scored his first try in 2002. It was in Round 14 against the Canberra Raiders. He played 21 games in his second season. He scored one try for the Sharks.

In 2003, during a game against the Newcastle Knights, Gallen was sent off. This happened after a high tackle on Sean Rudder. Gallen played 17 games that year. He scored five tries.

Key Moments: 2004–2005

In the first game of 2004, Gallen was involved in a fight. He was suspended for two weeks. The NRL Judiciary said he started the fight. He also hurt his elbow and missed several games.

In Round 11 against the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles, Gallen scored two tries. Cronulla won that game 30 to 28. In June, Gallen signed a new contract for three more seasons. He played 19 games in 2004 and scored five tries.

In 2005, Cronulla-Sutherland had their biggest win ever. They beat the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 68 to 6. Gallen scored a try in this game. Cronulla finished seventh and made the finals. They played against the St. George Illawarra Dragons. Gallen scored a try, but the Sharks lost 28 to 22.

Gallen received the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks Chairman's Award in 2005. He led the NRL in "hit ups" (running with the ball) and "offloads" (passing the ball after being tackled). He was also nominated for "Best Lock" at the 2005 Dally M Awards. He played 25 games in 2005 and scored six tries. He ran 3,920 metres with the ball, more than any other player.

Representative Honours and Club Loyalty: 2006–2007

Before the 2006 season, Gallen had back surgery. He returned to play within nine weeks, which surprised doctors. Gallen earned his first representative jersey. He was chosen to play for City in the annual City vs Country match.

He was later selected for the New South Wales team. This was for the third and final State of Origin match. New South Wales lost the series. Gallen also played for the Prime Minister's XIII squad against Papua New Guinea. At the end of 2006, he won the Sharks' supporters player of the year award.

In September 2006, Gallen thought about leaving Cronulla. He wanted to play in semi-finals. But he decided to stay with the Sharks. He signed a four-year deal until 2011. He reportedly turned down a bigger offer from another club. Gallen said he wanted to win a premiership with Cronulla. He knew it would be a special achievement for the club.

In 2007, Gallen faced some injuries. He hurt his ankle in a pre-season game. He returned in Round 4. He also had to withdraw from the City vs Country match due to another ankle injury.

Gallen was involved in a controversial moment in a game against St. George Illawarra. He was accused of faking an injury after a high tackle. He later said he was hit and it hurt. He also said the Sharks' motto was "do whatever it takes to win." He was suspended for one game later that season for a head-butt.

Despite these incidents, Gallen was called up for the New South Wales team again. This was for the third State of Origin match. He played well, making many metres and tackles. New South Wales won the game 18 to 4. At the end of the season, Gallen was chosen for the Australian squad. However, he had to pull out due to a shoulder injury.

Captaincy and Controversies: 2008–2010

Gallen playing for Australia against New Zealand at the 2008 Rugby League World Cup

In 2008, Gallen received attention for his play against the Titans. He was accused of rough play. He was selected for all three games in the State of Origin series. In the final game, he gave away several penalties. Fans criticized him for his lack of discipline. Gallen said the loss was the worst of his career. He was named in Australia's squad for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup.

Gallen in 2009

In May 2009, Gallen faced public criticism. He used inappropriate language towards another player, Mickey Paea. He voluntarily stepped down as Cronulla captain on 1 June 2009. In December 2009, he received a fine for a minor public incident.

For the 2010 ANZAC Test, Gallen played for Australia. They won against New Zealand. He was selected for the last two games of the 2010 State of Origin series. In the second game, he was reported for a high tackle. In the last game, Gallen scored a try and set up another.

Sharks Premiership and Personal Challenges: 2011–2016

The year 2011 was when the Sharks faced issues with team health programs. Gallen played in all three games of the 2011 State of Origin series. He also played for Australia. In State of Origin II, Gallen played as a prop for the full 80 minutes. This was a rare achievement. His performance earned him Man of the Match. Later, some journalists questioned his performance due to the team's health program issues.

In November 2011, Gallen was named Lock Forward of the Year at the RLIF Awards. He captained New South Wales again in the 2012 State of Origin series. Queensland won the series. At the 2012 Dally M Awards, Gallen was named the NRL's lock forward of the year.

Gallen with partner Anne in 2012.

In 2013, Gallen played for Australia in the 2013 ANZAC Test. He was named captain of the New South Wales Blues for the 2013 State of Origin series. He led his team to victory in Game One. However, he pleaded guilty to a striking charge for punches thrown during the game. This led to a new rule where players would be sent to the "sin-bin" for any punches in future Origin matches.

On 22 August 2014, Gallen and other Cronulla players pleaded guilty. They had unknowingly used banned substances as part of the 2011 team health program. They received a reduced ban from ASADA. Gallen received money from the NRL for legal fees. However, he later posted a controversial message online about the lack of support. He later took responsibility for it.

Before the 2014 State of Origin series, Gallen made a strong comment about Queensland fans. He captained New South Wales to victory in the series. This was the first time New South Wales had won the series in eight years.

Gallen captained NSW again in the 2015 State of Origin series. He missed the first game due to injury. After the third game, he received criticism for his leadership.

In 2016, Gallen was again the captain of NSW for the 2016 State of Origin series. New South Wales lost the series. Despite this, he remained captain for the third game, which NSW won 18–14. He was criticized by the Queensland media for walking away during the shield presentation.

Gallen captained Cronulla-Sutherland to the 2016 NRL Grand Final. The team won the Premiership, beating the Melbourne Storm 14–12. This was the Sharks' first premiership in their 49-year history. Gallen played a key role, helping to set up the first try.

Later Career and Retirement: 2017–2019

In 2017, Gallen was named in the City team for the last-ever City v Country match. On 10 September 2017, Cronulla played North Queensland in a finals game. Gallen almost scored the winning try but lost the ball. Cronulla lost in extra time and were out of the finals.

In 2018, Gallen became a panelist on Channel Nine's 100% Footy show. After Round 3, he became the first NRL player to reach 50,000 running metres. He played 21 games for Cronulla in 2018. The club reached the preliminary final but lost to Melbourne. Gallen missed that game due to injury. In October, he signed a one-year contract. This made him the first player to play 19 seasons with one NRL club.

In November, Gallen spoke about Valentine Holmes leaving the NRL for the NFL. Gallen said he was disappointed. He believed players breaking contracts should face consequences. His comments received negative reactions from former players.

On 10 March 2019, Gallen responded to Cameron Smith's comments. Smith wanted Melbourne's 2007 and 2009 premierships reinstated. Smith was upset that Melbourne lost their titles while Cronulla kept theirs. Gallen explained the difference in their team spending rule issues. He said Cronulla was under the spending cap in 2016.

In 2019, Gallen took over from Scott Prince as the player with the most losses in NRL history. In Round 9, Gallen scored his first try of the season. He also kicked his first career goal as Cronulla won 26–18. He celebrated with a gesture to the crowd. In Round 11, he kicked his second goal.

On August 21, 2019, Gallen was voted one of the best players of the decade. This was for the NRL team of the decade (2010-2019). He had been offered a much higher salary to join the Newcastle Knights the previous year. But he chose to stay loyal to Cronulla.

In Round 25, Gallen kicked a field goal. Cronulla-Sutherland won 25–8. This win helped them qualify for the finals. Gallen's final game was the following week. Cronulla lost to Manly-Warringah 28–16 in the elimination final.

Boxing Career

Gallen started amateur boxing in 2012. This was for a charity event in Auckland, New Zealand. He won his first fight against rugby union player Hikawera Elliot. The next year, he beat another New Zealand player, Liam Messam.

In 2014, Gallen became a professional boxer. He fought Herman Ene-Purcell and won by technical knockout. He later had surgery for an infection. He then won his second professional fight by technical knockout.

His next fight was in January 2015 against Randall Rayment. Gallen won by points. His fourth fight was another points win against rugby league player Bodene Thompson.

On 20 December 2018, Gallen agreed to fight former rugby league player John Hopoate. Gallen won by knockout in the second round. In mid-2019, Gallen fought former Australian rules footballer Barry Hall. The fight went the full six rounds and ended in a draw.

After two more wins against Mark Hunt and Lucas Browne, Gallen challenged Justis Huni. This was for the Australian heavyweight title on 16 June 2021. Gallen lost in the final round. This was his first loss.

Gallen fought Sonny Bill Williams in Sydney on July 16, 2025. He won the fight by split decision.

NRL Statistics

Year	Team	Games	Tries	Goals	FGs	Pts
2001	Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks	2
2002		21	1			4
2003		17	5			20
2004		19	5			20
2005		25	6			24
2006		18	7			28
2007		19	2			8
2008		20	4			16
2009		16	7			28
2010		23	3			12
2011		20	6			24
2012		16	3			12
2013		16	2			8
2014		9	2			8
2015		18	1			4
2016		20	4			16
2017		25	3			12
2018		22	1			4
2019		22	1	2	1	9
	Totals	348	63	2	1	257

Professional Boxing Record

Personal Life

Paul is married to Anne. They have four children: three daughters and a son.

Television Career

Paul Gallen has worked as a presenter on TV. From 2013 to 2015, he was a panelist on SportsFan Clubhouse. This was a sports show on 7mate.

Since 2018, he has appeared on 100% Footy. This is a rugby league show on Channel Nine. Gallen has also appeared on Sports Sunday and Nine's Rugby League Coverage.

Before the 2020 State of Origin series, a journalist said the Queensland team was the worst in Origin history. Before Game 3, Gallen agreed with this statement. Queensland went on to win Game 3 and the series. After the loss, Gallen defended his comments. He said they were fair.

In 2024, Gallen was part of the cast for the ABC series Plum. He filmed a small appearance for the show.

Honours and Awards

Individual Achievements

• 3x Dally M Lock of the Year: 2011, 2012, 2017
• 3x RLIF Lock of the Year: 2008, 2011, 2012
• 2x Harry Sunderland Medal: 2010, 2011
• RLW Player of the Year: 2010
• Brad Fittler Medal: 2011
• Wally Lewis Medal: 2014
• Peter Frilingos Memorial Award: 2011

Cronulla Sharks Team Honours

• 2016 NRL Grand Final Winners
• 2017 World Club Series Runner-up
• Cronulla Sharks Life Member

New South Wales Team Honours

• State of Origin Series Wins: 2014

Australia Team Honours

• Rugby League World Cup: 2013
• Rugby League Four Nations: 2009, 2011

See also

• List of players who have played 300 NRL games