‘Behaving like a sook’: Details emerge about ex-teammates’ feud

New details have emerged about the falling out between Cronulla premiership-winning teammates Chad Townsend and Paul Gallen.

Paul Gallen and Chad Townsend of the Sharks. AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts.

New details have emerged about the fallout between Cronulla Sharks 2016 Premiership winners Chad Townsend and Paul Gallen.

After Gallen revealed earlier this month the pair “don’t get on”, a report from The Daily Telegraph’s Phil Rothfield has lifted the lid on why exactly the pair fell out.

According to Rothfield the feud dates back to 2022, when Townsend refused to shake Gallen’s hand or be interviewed for Channel Nine’s post-game coverage following a Cowboys game.

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Rothfield explained Townsend was frustrated with Gallen speaking ‘in a critical manner of the struggling Cowboys when many experts tipped them to collect the wooden spoon.’

The senior journalist reported the Cowboys halfback, who recently signed a one-year deal with the Sydney Roosters for 2025, was irritated with many in the media, not just the man who captained him in the 2016 Grand Final.

Paul Gallen and Chad Townsend. AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts.

‘Townsend was not just dirty on Gallen, he even kept a list of journalists’ names - who had predicted them to run last - on his mobile phone,’ he said.

‘Talk about behaving like a sook.’

Gallen recently spoke about the feud on Channel Nine’s 100% Footy, stating:

“You have arguments with blokes over time and that’s just part and parcel of life.

“You don’t always agree with people over certain things and me and Chad had a bit of an argument a few years ago and haven’t spoken too much since.”

The former Sharks captain and current media personality was critical of the Roosters’ decision to sign the veteran halfback on a single year deal.

“I do think it’s a weird signing for the Roosters,” Gallen said.

“It’s not a normal signing for the Roosters to sign a 34-year-old halfback with one year to go when you’ve got blokes like Sandon ASmith and (Sam) Walker there,” he said.

Townsend is on the record as wanting a career in the media once his career comes to an end, with the 258-game half revealing this goal as one of the driver’s of his departure from the Cowboys.

“I’m definitely keen to get into the media,” he said.

“That’s one of the other things that was appealing about me heading back to Sydney.”

Originally published as ‘Behaving like a sook’: Details emerge about ex-teammates’ feud