Cronulla Sharks captain Paul Gallen hits out at North Queensland over injury complaints

CRONULLA captain Paul Gallen has accused final opponents North Queensland of “crying poor” over the club’s injury toll.

The Cowboys get no sympathy from the grizzled Gallen. Photo: Mark Evans

CRONULLA captain Paul Gallen has accused final opponents North Queensland of “crying poor” over the club’s injury toll as he refuses to complain about the Sharks’ short turnaround for Sunday’s sudden death match.

The likes of Johnathan Thurston, Matt Scott and Justin O’Neill headline the casualty list for the Cowboys, who clung to the eighth and final playoff spot despite a 20-10 loss to Brisbane last round.

But North Queensland have a 10-day gap between games, meaning the Cowboys will enjoy a decisive 72-hour advantage over Cronulla to prepare for Sunday’s elimination semi-final at Allianz Stadium.

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The Cowboys get no sympathy from the grizzled Gallen. Photo: Mark Evans

“They have been crying poor about injuries all season so a 10-day turnaround going into a semi-final, they should be pretty fresh,” Gallen told The Daily Telegraph.

“It’s a big difference, without a doubt.

“There’s not much you can do about scheduling but it’s certainly a positive for the Cowboys.

“We will have to be at our best to beat them. It’s big for them but it’s not a concern for us.

“We’re not worried about it, it’s not an issue. We just have to worry about what we’re going to do and play to our potential.”

Gallen, the NRL’s oldest current player at 36, continues to soldier on. He’s proved a remarkable leader with the biggest engine of any player in the modern era.

Even at 36, Gallen is still pushing himself every week. (AAP Image/Darren Pateman)

According to Fox Sports Lab, so far in his career Gallen has:

* Played 303 games;

* Played 20,811 minutes (almost 350 hours);

* Made 5756 runs for 48,532 metres; and

* Completed 8067 tackles and made 729 offloads.

Asked what kept him motivated, Gallen said: “I don’t know, I just enjoy competing. There’s no secret to it to be honest.

“I enjoy going to training every day. I like hanging out with the boys, I like pushing myself every day.

“The team result may not always be what you want, but you always want to compete and win your patch of grass.

“I’m sure the time will come when I stop but, for the moment, I’m enjoying it.

“There’s no lack of motivation from me. It’s been like that every year that I’ve played for the club. Obviously I’m also trying to prepare for life after footy as well.”

Cronulla will look to become the first club since Brisbane in 1992-93 in a unified competition to win successive premierships.

“We can’t look at it. If we do, we might as well give up now,” Gallen said of replicating the rare feat.

“We’re not looking at it at all. We’re a totally different team from last year. It’s irrelevant given where we are now.

“We wanted to finish top four but were fifth. We just have to win every game. We’re motivated — there’s certainly no lack of motivation in the team.

“Across the park we have good players. On our day, if we control the ball, and don’t give away silly penalties, we can beat anyone.”

Originally published as Cronulla Sharks captain Paul Gallen hits out at North Queensland over injury complaints