Poor Paul Gallen… earning so many hundreds of thousands of dollars, captaining your state to Origin glory, World Cup glory for your country… life seems tough.
Before anyone decides to have a go at me because he is suffering from depression and that I don’t know what he is going through, yes, I do know what depression is like. I have been down that path a number of years ago.
But this piece is not about his depression. This is about why, I believe, he deserves no sympathy for his recent actions.
MORE:
» Paul Gallen’s punishment was over the top
» Reports NRL gave Gallen $80,000 for legal fees
» Rugby League’s full circle relationship with Paul Gallen
Those recent actions were getting on the sauce overseas, learning of the sacking of Cronulla Sharks CEO Steve Noyce, then sending out a tweet, with the main point being dropping the C-bomb towards the NRL, his employer.
Sure, it seems harmless, but name me an business or industry where image is everything and you can call your boss that. For example, if he was a teacher, he’d be sacked on the spot.
$50,000 out of pocket seems harsh for an incident which seems not as bad as previous ones in recent years. For example Mitchell Pearce at Kings Cross, and the Konrad Hurrell video incident.
But look at his record.
In 2009 he called Micky Pea, a St George Illawarra forward, a “black c…”, as well as a squirrel grip tackle, and the infamous one-two boxing style attack on Nate Myles, as well as the forceful swinging arm in State Of Origin… then of course there is the drugs circus with ASADA.
Many were amazed in 2012 when he made 300+ and played 80 minutes in the front row to win the second State Of Origin. Now we know he was playing with performance-enhancing drugs in his body.
Since that infamous press conference early last year up to the time of the players taking the deal, from recollection, I have not heard once Gallen take responsibility for being a drug cheat.
As a human being, you are responsible for what goes into your body, no matter what the case. He has passed the blame on to others for the last 20 odd months and has instead been bitter at the NRL for what has happened to the Cronulla Sharks, when it really had nothing to do with the NRL.
Take Cameron Smith as an example. The Melbourne Storm were stripped of two premierships thanks to the Salary Cap rorting, and were banned from accumulating premiership points in 2010. Did he bad mouth then CEO David Gallop and the NRL? No. He just got on with it, like the rest of the team, and two years later the Storm won the competition.
My opinion? He is a drug cheat and his reputation is forever tarnished. But others seem to think he is an icon of the game, a legend, a future immortal even… why that is beggars belief, but each to their own.
But in the E-World we live in, he knew full well what he was doing when sending out that tweet, and given the fact he has really refused to co-operate with the NRL in recent times, and the fact that the younger generation look up to him, the fine for calling his boss what he did is suffice.
JGK
Roar Guru
Does anyone actually feel sorry for Gallen in the first place?
Hoy
Roar Guru
Why did they get a three game ban at all then if they were not drug cheats? What did they admit to?
Edward Kelly
Guest
Consistent: Maroon fan writes something bagging out NSW player. Dull. Roar you are going to lose me in the off season with this dribble.
JaT
Guest
The reason no Storm players have whinged is because none of them actually believe they have done anything wrong. And none of them have accepted that their "premierships' were taken away from them. Cam Smith was quoted recently as still believing that he has won 3 premierships - including the two that were taken away from them. That tells me that the punishment was not harsh enough on the Storm club. and perhaps they should have been made to sign a document admitting they cheated like the Sharks had to. But even worse is that neither the Sharks or the Storm have apologised to any supporter, or any other team or player in the competition for cheating and (in the Storm case) costing others teams a legitimate chance of winning premiership. They're all in denial and seem very happy with their heads firmly implanted in their behinds.
Boz
Guest
Not such a "long" bow - just a logical one.
mushi
Guest
His contract is registered with the NRL, he's signed up to a code of conduct with the NRL and the his club is essentially a franchise of the NRL. If he's answerable to someone then they are his boss
Jay C
Roar Guru
BS. So what. They are responsible for what they put in their bodies. "I didn't know" is not an excuse and the Olympic community were rightly outraged by the backdated sentencing. Stop making excuses for them. You take performance enhancing drugs. That enhance your performance. During a period when all of the Rugby League world are going "WOW, this guy is amazing." I believe 'superhuman effort' was thrown around a fair bit at the time. There is no other way to look at you than as a drug cheat. I, and anyone with a shred of integrity, will always put an asterisk next to his name from here on. I don't think you understand the corporate structure of Rugby League in Australia.
Glenn Innes
Guest
Also Gallen is not a drug cheat..ASADA stated that one of the key reasons for backdating the penalties given to the Cronulla players was that they accepted the fact that the players believed they were taking substances that were not outside the WADA code, They did not knowingly source and use banned substances and ASADA have conceded that and sensibly adjusted the penalty accordingly . The players were not drug cheats which is why they got a three game ban
Glenn Innes
Guest
Punter - Economics is obviously not your strong point...nor the authors.
Statler and Waldorf
Roar Guru
"I’m not bagging him, I’m just stating facts" you stated that he called his boss a c - not true as the Sharks club is his boss not anyone at the nrl you stated above that he discriminated against everyone in the nrl - not true that is making things up Adam, they are not facts.
Monday's Expert
Guest
Try keeping your job at said store if you publicly call Tim Cook the c word...
Monday's Expert
Guest
Considering the NRL put in $80,000 towards Gallen's legal expenses over the doping charge he's a bloody ingrate and they should have deregistered him.
Monday's Expert
Guest
Yep, I wonder what his treating physician thinks of the follow up tweet...hic
Shouts Chen
Guest
That's when Darius Boyd suffered from severe depression back in July 2014. He has had lots of issues with his health. Recently, he was released from the final year of the Newcastle Knights Contract.
AR
Guest
Completely agree with this article. Gallen must be the single biggest whinging sportsman in the country - and utterly unable to acknowledge his fault for anything - ever. The fact that the NRL gave him $80k to pay for lawyers bloody outrageous too.
peeeko
Roar Guru
i dont like the term but this article was written by a real "hater" since when did he run 300m in an origin?
Adam Page
Roar Guru
Darius Boyd didn't call his boss the c bomb. He realised his problem and is fixing it, unlike Gallen, who wants to cause more damage by boxing.
Adam Page
Roar Guru
Discrimination is the wrong word. Integrity and credibility are the words, And how have I made up stuff? I'm not bagging him, I'm just stating facts. I haven't mentioned yet that Gallen got $80,000 out of $350,000 donated by the NRL for lawyers in the ASADA drama. 17 players were suspended, so 17 into 350,000 is roughly just over 20,000. He got given $80,000...and yet he is still taking zero responsibility other than a PR apology on twitter. He is 33 turning 34...he needs to grow up and move on.
Adam Page
Roar Guru
But Smith doesn't broadcast it to so many thousands of followers, nor is his boss playing for NSW.
Mick Gold Coast QLD
Roar Guru
Now I'm confused and depressed. ;) I think I shall stay indoors today.