Courageous NSW and Cronulla skipper Paul Gallen insisted he was a chance to play again on Friday despite suffering medial ligament damage early in Sunday’s stirring NRL 21-20 golden point upset victory over Newcastle.
Gallen left the match in the third minute after being twisted awkwardly in his first hit up, wincing in pain as the body weight of Newcastle’s 105kg back-rower Chris Houston came down on him.
But in the minutes after his victorious team returned to the sheds at Hunter Stadium, his mood had changed.
With a brace on his knee, Gallen was already trying to figure out how he could be ready to rejoin his battling team against the Wests Tigers this week.
Being in doubt for the State of Origin series starting in a month’s time was no longer in his thoughts, rather he was trying to formulate a plan to be back on the field in just five days.
“Gal’s in there at the moment making phone calls to see if he can be ready for next Friday night – that’s Gal’s attitude,” said Sharks coach Shane Flanagan.
“He’ll be getting hyperbaric chambers, he’ll be swinging off trees to get ready.
“Origin is not a problem for Gal.
“… We’ve got a short turnaround so I wouldn’t think he’d be right for Friday night, but it’s Gal so we never know.”
Meanwhile rookie NSW coach Laurie Daley faces an anxious wait – along with the Sharks – for the results of scans Gallen will have on the injured knee on Monday.
Already tasked with the enormous mission of preventing Queensland from winning their eighth-straight Origin series, Daley could ill afford to be without his skipper and toughest forward.
It was a fate which predecessor Ricky Stuart dealt with last year, when Gallen spent the lead-up to the opening Origin clash with an injury cloud hanging over his head as he recovered from a posterior cruciate ligament injury in the same knee.
“It’s different to last year. It’s a different feeling,” Gallen said of his injury.
“They think it’s my medial ligament rather than my posterior cruciate which is good.
“If you want to do any of them, I suppose you want to do that one.”
Gallen planned to spend much of the week in a hyperbaric chamber to give him the best chance of facing the Tigers.
The 31-year-old likened his predicament to that of the Gold Coast’s Albert Kelly, who last month suffered a knee injury which he feared could sideline him for months – only to play the following week.
“Who knows … it’s not too sore to be honest,” he said.
The air of optimism on Gallen’s injury only sweetened the mood of Flanagan who delighted in his side snapping a four-game losing streak with their dramatic golden point victory over Newcastle.
Another man certain to be walking around with a smile on his face this week will be Sydney Roosters centre Michael Jennings.
Shunned by Penrith for much of last season before being released late in the pre-season, Jennings returned to haunt his former teammates with a two-try effort in the Roosters’ 30-6 mauling at Allianz Stadium on Sunday.
In Auckland, the Warriors clung to a thrilling 25-24 victory over a fast-finishing Gold Coast, but may have lost exciting fullback Kevin Locke to a potentially serious back problem.
The eye
Guest
To be honest,I don't think the Knights have gotten much better under the 'super coach'Hes bought significant talent up with him and they're still in the same boat 'fringe ' 8.The score line flattered them last week against a really poor Titans performance,their forwards just don't threaten.Bring back Stoney !
planko
Roar Guru
Yes but it does give you insight to what the coach thinks of his own team.
Renegade
Guest
I'm not sure quoting statements from press conferences at the start of the year really provides much perspective into yesterday's game....
Renegade
Guest
"his performance has dropped considerably (not skills, but performance) and it has been very dramatic." Maybe because he is the face of Cronulla and they have been front and back page with negative press for the last 3 months.....i'm just throwing it out there, maybe that's causing the drop in performance. Also when you say the drop in performance, it's against his own standard....he is still head and shoulders above every other forward in the comp. I know Cam Smith got the Channel 9 man of the match in the test match but seriously if there was a better player than Paul Gallen on the field in the Anzac test i must not have been paying attention.
planko
Roar Guru
Started as a joke it is getting it's own legs...
planko
Roar Guru
I was kidding.....
planko
Roar Guru
Renegade quote their coach "I dont know which side I am going to get when they step off the bus?" Maybe they were not that bad but Cronulla was not great either they should have won.
B.A Sports
Maybe it is unfair. But after Armstrong, what is fair? He (Gallen) is linked with it, his performance has dropped considerably (not skills, but performance) and it has been very dramatic. To say it is age is more of a stretch (IMO) given how sharply the drop in form is (Again IMO). Maybe we wouldn't be as forgiving if it was Steve Matai, Fui Fui or someone who wasn't the NSW captain. Cadel Evans won a TDF, then there was a big drug scandal in the sport, a few months after the scandal he can barely pedal a bicycle with any sort of forward momentum, and it is "because he is getting old". Nobody even questions him because he is our first TDF champion.
eagleJack
Guest
Gallen has been a freak for years B.A. I remember when he was moments away from signing with Manly in 2007 and I was over the moon. The guy has always been a workhorse with Craig Fitzgbbon saying years ago that it was like there were 2 x Paul Gallen's on the field. He just popped up everywhere, getting through a mountain of work. Sooner or later putting in that kind of effort will catch up with you. Insinuating he has always had "help" is way off the mark.
fishes
Guest
You're kidding B.A. , it's all speculation, and Dank was only at the club for a matter of months, not years.
Renegade
Guest
Your kidding right. Gallen has been doing this for a lot longer than "2 to 3 years"....
Renegade
Guest
Their completion rate was 32/39.... There were over 700 tackles in the game which is origin like in terms of pace of the game...i thought it was one of the better games i've seen this year. End to end stuff with plenty of free flowing football.
B.A Sports
Its been a pretty steep decline though. Maybe there is a reason he has been able to carry is state and club for the last two or three years (something he didn't really do before in terms of work rate) and thus has been a "freak". Sooner or later, given the situation with that club, questions have to be asked.
PGNEWC
Guest
Gave away too many penalties and didn't complete their sets
Renegade
Guest
I didn't think Newcastle were bad yesterday, it was a good game.
Renegade
Guest
Gallen has been putting in superhuman efforts since about 2004 mate....there's no questions to be asked. Flanagan said in the off season that Gallen will play less minutes for the sharks this year as 1) he is a veteran in his 30s now and 2) the sharks have an abundance of talent in the back row.
Ronald M
Guest
He is getting old as well and you don't recover as well or as quickly.
The eye
Guest
He's 32 and been carrying that side and state for 5 years,had to give eventually..he's a freak doesn't deserve to be tainted until ASDA shows us conclusively.
planko
Roar Guru
Warriors and Newcastle they are the "Cadbury Favourites" "Box of Chocolates" of the comp. You never know what you might get from these 2 teams. But I will say this much if you are betting on them I would say if they are short lay them ...If they are long back them.
planko
Roar Guru
I meant it as a joke.