Blues coach Laurie Daley gives Paul Gallen's hit an Origin all-clear

BLUES coach Laurie Daley says he will be disappointed if Paul Gallen is suspended because he maintains Origin is a "different game".

BLUES coach Laurie Daley says he will be disappointed if Paul Gallen is suspended because he maintains Origin is a "different game".

Maroons legend Paul Vautin claimed Gallen was lucky to escape being sent off for the series of punches that stunned Queensland rival Nate Myles in the 39th minute at ANZ Stadium.

Gallen was served a grade two striking charge last night.

With no carryover points, he would miss only one NRL game if he takes an early plea, or two if he contests it and loses at the judiciary.

It was thought the controversial NSW skipper was placed on report for a high shot on Myles a few seconds before the flurry of punches by referee Ashley Klein, but it is understood there will not be a second charge laid.

Either way, Gallen will be available to maintain the rage in Origin II in three weeks.

Gallen, who has to decide on his plea today, defended his on-field actions with match officials, arguing his savage attack on Myles was motivated by the Maroons forward repeatedly targeting Blues with spoiling tactics.

The fiery Shark said after the game Myles had been a dominant forward in past Origin series and "someone had to stand up to him".

Earlier, he told the referees: "He's been doing it for series after series ... headbutting and twisting."

Daley said: "I'd be disappointed if anything came out of it.

"I thought it was a tough, brutal, hard game of footy."

Queensland coach Mal Meninga said if it was an NRL game Gallen may have found himself in trouble but he was happy to let it slide.

"In a normal game he maybe would have got 10 (minutes) in the bin," he said.

"It is Origin so we're comfortable with what happened.

"That (suspension) is for the adjudicators to make those decisions.

"We're comfortable with whatever they come up with."

Vautin argued on Channel 9: "If this was a club game Paul Gallen would have been sent off. He was like Muhammad Ali for a second."

Gallen's attack was largely unprovoked and the whistleblowers had grounds to dismiss the Blues prop.

The Blues camp were known to be angry at Myles last year for allegedly leading with the head in an incident with NSW hooker Robbie Farah.