Paul Gallen

[sharks195]

i think the board must retain gallen at all costs. give him the captaincy, sack kimmorley. whatever gallen wants. he is too good to let go of.

 

[Hammerhead]

False claims by the Gallen - MANLY ANGRY
15 September 2006
Sydney MX

Manly have bristled at suggestions they were the club that made an illegal approach to Cronulla lock Paul Gallen.

Gallen requested a release from the Sharks this week, claiming he needed a fresh challenge and wanted to play semi-final football.

It immediately set off rumours that the Sea Eagles who are looking to replace retiring captain Ben Kennedy had prompted the move, but football manager Peter Peters angrily denied the link today.

"It's an easy accusation to make isn't it?" he asked ahead of tonight's sudden-death showdown with St George Illawarra at Aussie Stadium.

"We're losing a lock, so people immediately accuse us of being involved.

"We haven't done any such thing, we haven't spoken to him and we have no plans to speak to him.

"It's getting quite tiresome having to constantly defend all of this crap."

Gallen met with Sharks officials yesterday and agreed to honour his contract through next season after claiming, "it might be time for a change".

"It's not that I don't like the place or the coaching staff or anything like that I just want to play semi-final football," Gallen said.

"You get only a short playing career and I'm looking for a fresh start and a fresh challenge."

But in a sign of the pressure mounting on the southern Sydney club, chief executive Greg Pierce insisted today that news of Gallen wanting to leave had been blown out of proportion.

"It's a load of ****," he said.

"You can make a story out of anything I suppose journos do that, but big deal he asked for a release, we said no, that's it."

The Sharks wrapped up their season review yesterday and are expecting to receive a report from management consultancy firm the Mercury Group next week.

Coach Stuart Raper is believed to be under increasing pressure to keep his job after Cronulla slumped from third mid-season to 13th with 10 consecutive losses to end the season.

 

[san29]

Gallen

Gallen desperate to quit Sharks
By Dean Ritchie
September 14, 2006 NEW South Wales back rower Paul Gallen has rocked the Sharks by asking for a release, and the club suspects a rival NRL club has attempted to poach him.

Signed until the end of 2007, Sharks chief executive Greg Pierce last night torpedoed the move, saying: "There's no way he's going anywhere."

Gallen fronted Pierce and under-pressure coach Stuart Raper last Friday to request the right to move on.

The development comes with the Sharks in the middle of conducting an internal review after crashing out of finals contention amid the worst losing streak in the club's 40-year history.

IF HE WON'TS OUT LET HIM GO BECAUSE HIS HEART WILL NEVER BE IN IT

"I just feel like it might be time for a change. It's not that I don't like the place or the coaching staff or anything like that. I just want to play semi-final football," Gallen said.

"You only get a short playing career and I'm looking for a fresh start and a fresh challenge. I told Stuart (Raper) and Greg (Pierce) direct.

"They both said it would be crazy for them to let me go, so I don't like my chances."

The Sharks will finish conducting their review tomorrow. The club is understood to be close to coming to terms with sacked Sydney Roosters coach Ricky Stuart to replace Raper next season.

Pierce suspects Gallen may have been approached with a big-money offer to join a rival club.

"Asking for a release and getting a release are two different things altogether," Pierce said.

"I dare say he's been made an offer by another club, which disappoints me.

"He probably thinks he can earn more money and he probably wishes he was in the semi-finals, but so do we all."

But Gallen's agent David Riolo denied the Origin star had been approached by another NRL club.

Gallen collected the Sharks supporters' player of the year award at Cronulla's 2006 presentation night last Tuesday.

- http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,20406331-23214,00.html

 

[Hammerhead]

IF HE WANTS OUT THEN LET HIM GO HIS HEART WILL NEVER BE IN IT

Disagree san. We let too many top line players walk out in recent years - Nutley and sully the most notable. It sets a bad precedent for other players when ever there's a ripple and it's just a poor way to run a business. Chances are Gallen could be a very happy shark in a year's time, but we'd never know if we let him go. and i have no doubt he will still give 100% on field next year. word is it was blocker roach who had a word in gallen's ear about joining manly. he was covering the sharks game for 2GB when gallen spoke out on radio about raper needing to take some blame.

 

[Great White]

That is my biggest point too HAMMERHEAD, not so much that Gallen (not that he should go at all, he is our best player) is the player wanting to go, but more of the point that it sets precedence and starts a domino effect and makes the attitude around the place poor even more so.

 

[Blondie]

It is true he wants to go to Manly. I have a reliable source on this one.

At first I thought let him go because he does not want to be there.

Now I think we should keep him at all costs. He is doing what we are doing - shaking things up. We should do everything we can to keep this guy and his winning attitude at the club. He is an excellent footballer and thoroughly deserves his rep honours. Its funny that, the guys who get a taste of another set up all come back wanting to leave and change things...whats that say about our coaching and administration?

 

[sharks195]

gallen is the foundation for the forwards, he leads the way. who in their right minds would send him away??? gets some braains board or get out!!!!!

 

[Great White]

Mate that is going to be the issue, will the board kick themselves in the ass and FINALLY wake up or do we have to lose our most consistent and best proposition in the last few years too?

 

[sharks195]

i don't like our future without gallen. the future seems like a souths nightmare and that we will be kicked out of the comp. get your bloody act together board or bloody well get out of here!!!

 

[Great White]

We wish

 

[timber]

gallen

as matuia is out of the trinations what do u rekon gallens chances are of a call-up?he was the prime ministers lock.

 

[san29]

gallen

not good

 

[Megashark]

Last I heard Maitua was only out for one game, so I would suggest that probably Ryan will be the starting lock for the Kangaroos on Saturday night in Melbourne, or they will move O'Donnell back there and start Ryan in the 2nd row. However if it is a long term injury to Maitua then I would rate Gallen a fair chance of a call-up given his good form for us this season and also for the PMs selection in PNG. He would not look out of place in the green and gold and he would not let anyone down, that is for sure.

 

[Capital_Shark]

Last I heard Maitua was only out for one game, so I would suggest that probably Ryan will be the starting lock for the Kangaroos on Saturday night in Melbourne, or they will move O'Donnell back there and start Ryan in the 2nd row. However if it is a long term injury to Maitua then I would rate Gallen a fair chance of a call-up given his good form for us this season and also for the PMs selection in PNG. He would not look out of place in the green and gold and he would not let anyone down, that is for sure.

Maitua's tri nations is over. As for Gallen, I dunno about his chances. Was he even selected in the squad to start with? I don't think so. They'll play O'Donnell in lock I'd say.

 

[Megashark]

Maitua's tri nations is over. As for Gallen, I dunno about his chances. Was he even selected in the squad to start with? I don't think so. They'll play O'Donnell in lock I'd say.

Gallen was in the train-on squad and was the starting lock for the PMs 13 in PNG, so if Ricky decides to bring in someone from outside the current squad to replace Maitua, he is the obvious choice. As the Tri Nations is a pretty long campaign, I like his chances of getting a look in at some stage. Let's face it, he deserves it on merit to be in ahead of a bloke like Thaiday anyway.

 

[Capital_Shark]

Gallen was in the train-on squad and was the starting lock for the PMs 13 in PNG, so if Ricky decides to bring in someone from outside the current squad to replace Maitua, he is the obvious choice. As the Tri Nations is a pretty long campaign, I like his chances of getting a look in at some stage. Let's face it, he deserves it on merit to be in ahead of a bloke like Thaiday anyway.

I'd like to see it be between Gallen or Tounge, both very deserving locks. More deserving in my opinion that Maitua was.

 

[Megashark]

Tongue is a very sound defensive player but in my opinion Gallen is better on his feet and offers more with ball in hand. Maitua is of great utility value but I was surprised when he was named to start at lock for Australia in the first Tri Nations game.

 

[Nulla Boy]

IMO ricky should have at least picked 2 sharks for the squad-
reason 1.would make for valuble experience next year

reason 2.would of got off to a great start with the players.

but he snubbed them,how would the squad feel knowing that the incoming coach doesnt think too highly of them.gallen shouldof been picked no worries,and although stapleton hasn't played for us yet he had a great year as well,plus i think thompson just plainly deserves some recognition for all the work he has done in his career,how has this bloke not played reps higher than city/country.

 

[Capital_Shark]

IMO ricky should have at least picked 2 sharks for the squad-
reason 1.would make for valuble experience next year

reason 2.would of got off to a great start with the players.

but he snubbed them,how would the squad feel knowing that the incoming coach doesnt think too highly of them.gallen shouldof been picked no worries,and although stapleton hasn't played for us yet he had a great year as well,plus i think thompson just plainly deserves some recognition for all the work he has done in his career,how has this bloke not played reps higher than city/country.

Nah sorry mate I don't agree. I don't like the idea of players making rep on the back of who the coach is. Club, State and Country should all stay seperate when it comes to coach/player alliances.

 

[gavin07]

yeah i think it would be more obvious if ricky picked sharks players ahead of others. as the national coach i would hope for a higher level of professionalism which ricky has maintained in the job. it might be good for us but its a selfish thing to ask for in the national side. just heard tupou will be lock.