Will Paul Gallen extend his terrible run at Suncorp Stadium?
If this is to be Paul Gallen’s last game in Brisbane, he will hope Gold Coast provide an easy target. Because so far, the Cronulla captain’s record at Suncorp Stadium is wretched.
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Welcome back to Brisbane, “Mr 14 per cent’’.
You had probably figured Paul Gallen’s win-loss record in Brisbane over his long career was pretty dismal. It’s actually an eye-watering three wins in 22 games, both for NSW against Queensland and for Cronulla against the Broncos.
No wonder he dislikes Queensland so much.
And no wonder he seems to take every chance to parrot — one more time — his “two heads’’ gibe when one of his ever-friendly Sydney media mates soft balls him a question.
If this is to be Gallen’s last game in Brisbane — and the chances of a Broncos home final this year aren’t super — he will hope that a game against different opposition, Gold Coast, at Suncorp Stadium provides a winning note.
He played 11 Origin games at Suncorp Stadium for two wins.
He played nine NRL games at Suncorp and two before that at the old ANZ Stadium at Nathan for a total of one win for the Sharks.
That’s a win percentage of 13.63 per cent, but let’s round him up to a 14 per cent win rate — that’s what statisticians usually do. Don’t let the Cronulla skipper say we don’t have a heart here in Queensland.
Fox Sports Lab says Gallen also played three Tests for Australia at Suncorp Stadium and he finished on the winning side once. That’s a career tally in Brisbane of four wins from 25 matches.
Gallen said on Monday when feeding a Sydney media huddle that he “wouldn’t want’’ the respect of Queensland fans before or after his Sharks play on Thursday night to kick start the Magic Round festivities.
That’s good. Maybe just as well, even if everyone playing 300-plus NRL games is worthy of respect for their toughness — and that’s one thing even the biggest detractor of Gallen would have to concede.
But that’s getting off the track here. The former NSW captain reckoned he doesn’t want respect in this neck of the words, so … back to his win-loss record in Brisbane.
Gallen’s first game and first loss in Brisbane in the NRL was on April 7, 2002 — 17 years ago.
The rugbyleaguetables website detailed that Cronulla have twice won at Suncorp Stadium with Gallen absent, in both 2012 and 2013.
The following year, the Sharks won 24-22, with Gallen scoring a try. It was his only time on a winning side in Brisbane against the Broncos.
He remembers fondly NSW’s win at Suncorp in 2014 when the Blues won the series.
He was also on the field that night the Maroons rampaged to a 52-6 triumph.
Cronulla won both of their two matches against Gold Coast played in the past two years and managed to concede 10 points or fewer in both, emphasising a familiar problem for the Titans in recent times.
Originally published as Will Paul Gallen extend his terrible run at Suncorp Stadium?
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