Retiring NRL great Paul Gallen has revealed a back-room agreement he had with the NRL to play the villain during Origin series past, in order to promote the games and boost sales for games played at neutral venues (Melbourne).
According to Nine NRL reporter Danny Weidler, the Sharks captain was given a secret financial incentive by the NRL in order to play 'the bad guy'.
Gallen told Nine News he played his role perfectly.
"It was part and parcel of where the Origin series was at," Gallen said.
"NSW was struggling at the time, and we needed something to keep the promotion of the game going."
"That (something) was me, and I did a good job of it!"
Gallen also opened up on how the wounds of the 2011 ASADA scandal still hadn't healed, and that he was hung out to dry through the whole process.
"(A lawyer) told me very early on that it would be a very individual thing not a club thing."
"It hurt me. We all know what happened, and at the end of the day, me being who I was at the time, it fell a lot on my shoulders."
Gallen plays his final home game at Shark Park this weekend against the Canberra Raiders. He has played 345 matches for Cronulla, and captained the side to a memorable premiership in 2016
Since there has been a lot of talk about NRL fixing games with refs, I found the above story very interesting.
what other deals do they have and with who - for what, in one way they are determining the out come of how a game was perceived and in this story no doubt gallan trying to be the bad guy, he is actual focus would had shifted from winning the game to making his bonus’s no matter the result. This guy was the captain at the time.
cant help but to think cam smiths wife’s gift, bellyache taken to the basketball, it literally goes on and on
it’s starting to not just smell but reek
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Would that financial incentive fall within the salary cap guidelines?
Sounds like the NRL has topped up wages of certain players. Could that explain why Cameron Smith played on when he looked pretty certain to retire last year. Was he told of the bonuses he would get.
How about other players where rumours of leaving to union or overseas were very loud but they changed their mind at the last minute. Was that part of the nrls promotional fund which was seems to have been used for Gallen.
Gallen is a straight shooter but others would be more discrete about certain payments so we will never know how widespread and who got the payments but why wasn't Semi offered some money. He was the ultimate highlight reel and promotional dream.
I notice Kalyn ponga is all over the promos for the international 9s. I wonder what sort of top up he is getting despite the fact on form he doesn't even deserve to be in the team.
Gallen just might be the guy who’s going to blow the lid off things after he retires , although I’m sure he won’t disclose the under the table deals he did with Cronulla . But the NRL incentivising certain players behind the scenes for doing little tasks for them , It’s all very sneaky isn’t it . Who was it a few days ago that mocked someone’s post by sarcastically asking if they thought the NRL was like WWE ?
Now we hear that GreenTurd was having players play the role of the villain to drive excitement. Not looking so ridiculous now is it . It’s supposed to be a sporting competition for fucks sake , what the hells going on when you have the bosses asking players to play fake roles .
If this is true, the NRL has reached rock bottom. This is no way to run a professional sporting competition. It would seem that Toddy thinks he is the Godfather and can do exactly as he pleases. Can we please remove him from his duties and put a competant person in charge?
So if they can do this to help keep the contest alive, then it surely isn’t a massive leap to go a step further with the aid of some favourable calls to also help similar cause?
gallen should tell us why the nrl hasn’t slugged his sharkies for the 993k breach uncovered early this year, that was conveniently dumped in the already suspended Flanno’s lap but no one else’s? Gallen screamed nothing to see here but apparently lots to see when he voiced his opinion about Parra 16.
Im still upset that we lost our nines title as we weren’t over the cap at time we went above it later when they added previous years breaches and sharks kept their trophy
Gallen is a grub and I would not believe a word he says to be honest. I just think it's funny that he looks to be bighting off the hand that feeds him now that he has what he wants from the NRL. I've never seen the game as poorly managed as it is now. It's an utter disgrace.
Agreed Kenny and Longfin!
Gallen was happy to deflect and throw flanno further under the bus about the TPA emails uncovered and made public. Flanno was already serving his punishment for supplements ban. It’s ridiculous that Gallen and the nrl thought flanno fit to cop it, but he sure isn’t the one who coughed up the 993K...if sharpy and our lot paid the price as well as points and monetary fines, how the hell did they get off Scott Seward free??
“I’m unaware of Flanno’s role in it to be honest. Flanno is a guy that obviously is a major part of the successful period of my career. I like him personally. Unfortunately he’s been embroiled in it all and he’s been heavily punished for it.
“As a club and as a playing group all we can do it move on.”
https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-premiership/teams/sharks/shane...
Help promote the game wow straight from the NRL, well what's to stop them let's say chat to a ref & help keep the series alive. It is a disgrace to hear that the people running this game resort to this kind of tactic. Many years ago Geyer was given similar instructions, to go out & hurt the opposition, well he turned into a lunatic, no one helped him at the judiciary.
How can the NRL place themselves in this position with incidents like C. Smith testimonial game, his wife, Billy Slater judiciary calls & man of the match wins, Thurston was looked after like Smith yet others missed out, the on going Roosters salary cap payments just don't fit, the Sharks salary cap doubt & comp win, the Storm penalty decisions highlighted on 360 the amount of time it takes them to peel off on their own line, Broncos salary cap. It goes on & on. Never going to get better while Greenturd in charge.
Lol they payed him to be the villain . So did they pay him to say the two heads thing . Wow
have to agree with WIZ this is definitely WWE material .
What else they been doing to keep “the competition interesting “
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