Paul Gallen

Paul Gallen

Paul Gallen is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer. He played as a lock, prop and second-row forward and captained the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in the NRL to their maiden NRL Premiership in 2016. He also played for the Sydney Roosters in the Australian Super League in the 2007 and 2008 seasons. He is a former captain and representative of the New South Wales State of Origin team. He has also been the vice captain of Australia and played his whole NRL career with the Sharks.

About Paul Gallen in brief

Summary Paul GallenPaul Gallen is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer. He played as a lock, prop and second-row forward and captained the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in the NRL to their maiden NRL Premiership in 2016. He is a former captain and representative of the New South Wales State of Origin team. He has also been the vice captain of Australia and played his whole NRL career with the Sharks, with whom he won the 2016 NRL Premiership. He was the NRL’s oldest player playing in 2018. Gallen played his junior rugby league for the Wentworthville Magpies and was in the Parramatta Eels junior system playing the S. G. Ball Cup before being overlooked by the Eels. In June 2001, Gallen made his NRL debut against the Parrams. In the 2005 NRL season, he played a total of 25 games in first-grade for the Sharks and in the process scored six tries. He ran 3,920 metres with the ball in 2005, more than any other player in the competition. He won his first ever representative jersey when he was selected to play for City vs City in the annual City vs Country match on Wednesday night, June 18, 2013. He also played for the Sydney Roosters in the Australian Super League in the 2007 and 2008 seasons. He currently plays for the Canberra Raiders in the NSW Rugby League competition. In 2010, he moved to the Melbourne Renegades in the Queensland Rugby League. In 2012, he signed a three-year deal with the Sydney-based club.

In 2013, he was named in the All Blacks World Cup squad for the first time in his career. In 2014, he made his debut for the Queensland Kangaroos against the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs. He made his Cronulla Sharks debut in round 15 of the 2002 NRL season. In his second season at first- grade level, he scored five tries in 21 appearances for the club, scoring one try during the season. He scored two tries in his sides 30 points to 28 victory over St. George-Illawarra in round 11 against the Manly Sea Eagles, however it wasn’t enough to save the Sharks from losing the match 28 points to 22. In round 24, the Sharks scored their biggest ever victory, scoring a 68 points to 6 win over the Manlies, with Gallen scoring a try. In July 2014, it was announced that Gallen had extended his contract for another three seasons. In May 2015, he announced that he would be retiring from rugby league at the end of the 2015 season. His last game for Cronulla was against the Brisbane Broncos in the final round of the 2014 NRL season at Toyota Park. He retired from the NRL in July 2015. In April 2016, he became the oldest player to ever play in an NRL Premiership match, aged 40. He now lives in Sydney with his wife and two children. He plays rugby league in the Sydney suburb of Wollongong. In 2008, he married his wife, Tanya.