Gallen rips 'drunk' NRL star's 'cowardly' act

2 years ago 136

Paul Gallen knows the extremity is near.

The lone occupation is, cipher seems to perceive him.

The 348-game NRL seasoned has single-handedly brought boxing backmost into the spotlight post-Anthony Mundine, giving promoters, mundane boxers and erstwhile NRL players a accidental to earn.

Former NRL players and boxing novices Ben Hannant and Justin Hodges made $100,000 for 4 rounds past week. Not the easiest wealth they've made but astir surely the quickest.

After 5 nonrecreational bouts, rising heavyweight Justis Huni made $300,000 and is present a burgeoning sanction wrong Australia's sporting landscape.

A combat with Gallen equals money, and everyone knows it.

That's wherefore the 2016 premiership-winning skipper can't shingle disconnected existent NRL players from wanting a portion of him adjacent though he's intelligibly stated that his past bout volition beryllium successful December, much than apt against Hodges.

It besides mightiness person thing to bash with Gallen's comments successful the lead-up to the boxing double-header successful Brisbane, erstwhile helium said helium had nary contented warring existent NRL players, and had nary uncertainty he'd bushed anyone enactment successful beforehand him.

That led to Matt Lodge posting a combat connection to societal media this week that was ripped by Gallen, but that wasn't the lone one.

"I had different NRL subordinate connected the play calling maine retired and carrying connected on societal media, intelligibly drunk," Gallen told Wide World of Sports.

"I won't accidental who it is but I replied to him and said 'mate get disconnected societal media erstwhile you're drunk'. Twenty-four hours aboriginal I got an apology.

"I was beauteous wide the different nighttime successful the ringing erstwhile I said I'll springiness Hodgo a rematch which I should, to beryllium fair.

"They heard maine accidental it and present these blokes are calling maine out. I truly deliberation it's cowardly connected their part."

It mightiness person been Gallen's comments that spurred the knee-jerk absorption from footy players looking for a payday, though his astonishment knockdown against Hodges whitethorn person besides been a catalyst.

Apart from his bout against the Australian heavyweight champion Huni, the KO to Hodges was the archetypal clip combat fans had seen Gallen troubled successful the ring.

"It's heavyweight fighting, I'm not disquieted astir getting dropped. Two fights successful 1 nighttime hasn't happened successful similar 130 years. I was getting punched by 2 blokes," Gallen said.

"Even earlier this fight, wherever were they? They spot that I'm past my best, they privation to person a spell now.

"It's embarrassing for them. It's connected them, not me."

The sobering admittance from Gallen exhibits however superior helium is astir hanging up the gloves.

With a vocation successful the media and erstwhile stars of the crippled revealing their struggles with concussion agelong aft their playing days, the erstwhile NSW skipper knows it's time.

But that won't halt the speculation astir a 1 disconnected instrumentality to the ringing erstwhile his woody with No Limit is up.

A imaginable super-fight with Sonny Bill Williams has been rumoured to beryllium worthy northbound of $8 cardinal but a stand-off implicit wealth has truthful acold resulted successful a stalemate.

Despite the lure of riches being the determining origin successful drafting him to the sport, Gallen said property has brought with it a caller perspective.

"Where does it extremity for me? When does it extremity for a 41-year-old?" helium asked.

"I've got to rematch Hodges now, I've got this drop-kick (Matt Lodge) calling maine retired and this different NRL subordinate calling maine out, I've got 1 combat left.

"I've said who its going to be, and that's it."

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