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NSW's Gallen braced for career highlight

Roar Guru
8th July, 2014
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NSW skipper Paul Gallen has been public enemy No.1 in Queensland for as long as he can remember.

Around 10.15pm (AEST) on Wednesday, that will all be pushed to one side when he raises the State of Origin Shield – the first Blues’ captain to do so since Andrew Johns nine years ago – a moment he says will be the highlight of his career.

The Blues will toast their series victory in what’s expected to be a deserted Suncorp Stadium with Queensland supporters tipped to exit en masse after the final siren.

Around five thousand tickets are still unsold, a NRL official told AAP on Tuesday, but a similar amount of Blues supporters were expected to make the trip up the Pacific Highway.

But Gallen said regardless of the size of the audience, lifting the Shield for the first time would be a moment to savour.

“It’ll be nice. I played up here a few weeks ago against the Broncos and they certainly let me have it,” Gallen said.

“Hopefully, they won’t be too loud when we go up so I can congratulate Queensland for what they have done over the last eight years and thank our boys.

“It’s something I am looking forward to and it will certainly be a career highlight.”

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Gallen said he wouldn’t hold any hard feelings towards the home crowd if they chose to snub the presentation ceremony as he dedicated the series win to the 87 players and four coaches who had pitted their wits against the Maroons since 2006.

“That’s understandable. It’s up to them what they do – I am not too worried about it … I can’t wait to hold it up. I don’t care if there’s 55,000 here or five,” he said.

“It’s going to be a great moment, not just for myself and this team, but for every player and coach that’s played a part over the last eight years.

“We’ve played against this Queensland side who’ve been blessed with all these great players … and to finally beat them is a great moment in history. I can’t wait to hold that trophy up.”

Gallen makes his 18th Blues appearance on Wednesday and has put behind him for now the pressures of skippering a Cronulla club caught in the crosshairs of the ASADA investigation.

The 32-year-old and the Sharks have been under constant scrutiny since the infamous ‘darkest day in Australian sport’ media conference in February last year.

He spoke openly last month about the stress it had placed on him and his family and NSW coach Laurie Daley and his teammates had been blown away at his ability to lead under such pressure.

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“Gal is a fantastic captain. I couldn’t ask for anyone better,” Daley told AAP.

“He has been a great servant to NSW over the years and throughout this series. No one deserves to win this series more than him.”

Blues vice-captain Robbie Farah is widely seen as Gallen’s successor-in-waiting, but the Wests Tigers’ hooker hopes that day is still a long way off.

“I hope Gal sticks around for as long as he can,” Farah said.

“I love playing under him and I think I speak for all the boys. It’s been a tough 18 months for him at club level.

“But I think coming here in camp helps him get away from everything.

“We’ve never noticed anything different from him. He’s the skipper we need him to be.”

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Who will win Origin III and why
STATE OF ORIGIN GAME THREE IN A NUTSHELL

Five reasons why NSW will whitewash Queensland for the first time since 2000:

1. BELIEF: After finally snapping Queensland’s Origin nine-year dominance in game two, having already won game one in Brisbane, the Blues believe they know how to beat the Maroons.

2. QUEENSLAND WOES: For years off-field dramas have been the domain of NSW players, but Will Chambers’ alleged involvement in a bar-room incident gave the Queensland camp a taste of turmoil.

3. LAURIE DALEY: Had the knack of putting one over Meninga during Origin in his playing days including victory in his former Canberra teammate’s farewell game in 1994 and now, with added steel this season, he’s the first Blues coach to beat him in Origin.

4. COOPER CRONK’S ARM: Broke his arm in game one but has recovered remarkably quickly to be back for game three. The Blues are almost certain to target the halfback just as they did the bandaged Daly Cherry-Evans in game two.

5. JARRYD HAYNE: The best player in the NRL at the moment and the man who’s emerged as the heartbeat of this team at fullback following his heroics in games one and two.

Five reasons why Queensland will beat NSW:

1. SIEGE MENTALITY: Thriving in adversity is part of a Queenslander’s DNA. The Will Chambers incident will be seen as something to bring the team together rather than disrupt. Cancelling media sessions is a sign they are circling the wagons.

2. SUNCORP STADIUM: The Maroons were a fingertip away from winning game one having been on the back foot until the last 15 minutes. They have only lost once at home in five years prior to that defeat and a passionate home crowd will be at its loudest to avoid a clean sweep.

3. PRIDE: Defeat is something completely alien to most of this star-studded side and their pride was wounded by the 6-4 loss in Sydney. A 3-0 sweep with two defeats taking place in Brisbane is unthinkable.

4. HISTORY: NSW have only won twice in Brisbane in the same year on two occasions since 1982 – the last time was 18 years ago.

5. MOMENTUM: Great sides never know when they are beaten and this Queensland team is arguably the best of all time. Despite the series being lost, they know a huge win over the Blues would dampen their celebrations and lay a marker for game one in 2015.

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