Why Paul Gallen’s friends don’t want him to fight Sonny Bill, and why he probably will

David Riccio has known Paul Gallen for 20 years, attending the NRL legend’s wedding and having written his autobiography. Last week, he rang Gallen with a simple message about fighting Sonny Bill Williams.

Disclaimer, I’ve been a mate of Paul Gallen’s for the past 20 years.

I went to the former NSW State of Origin captain’s wedding to his high school sweetheart Annie in 2012, where Gallen’s former Sharks teammate Ben Pomeroy took to the dance floor after the speeches and one-by-one began bench pressing guests, including the likes of Greg Bird and Todd Carney.

In 2017 I began helping Gallen write his book, ‘Heart and Soul’ - his life story layered with confrontingly raw detail from a career that spanned more than 30 Tests and 24 Origins and that famous 2016 premiership, before he eventually called it quits in 2019 as the longest-serving Shark of all-time.

The title of the autobiography best sums up Gallen.

Read a few chapters and you quickly realise that Gallen had to grow-up fast after his Mum and Dad split at a young age.

In the chapter ‘Tough Love’, Gallen explains how between the ages of 13 and 14, the rebellious teen lived in seven different houses, eventually moving in with his father - his mum unable to control her son’s behaviour.

David Riccio (inset) has urged Paul Gallen (main) to not take the Sonny Bill Williams fight.

Gallen’s four brothers and sisters remained living with his mum.

His contact with his siblings was almost non-existent, the phone number to his mum’s house a mystery.

From the turmoil, Gallen found success on the football field. At 16, he was part of the Parramatta Marist team that won the entire Catholic Schools competition in NSW.

It was the catalyst for Gallen to earn his first football contract, a $2,000 one-year deal with the Parramatta Eels. At the time, he had been earning $27 working for four hours at Red Rooster. It felt like he’d won lotto.

More importantly, it was the spark that allowed him to rekindle his relationship with his closest family, to train harder, find routine and structure in his life, far removed from walking the back streets of Greystanes looking for a fight.

Yet at 43, Gallen has found another fight.

Contracts are being drawn-up as we speak for Gallen to finally step in the ring against former NRL star Sonny Bill Williams. It’s a fight that should’ve happened, if at all, five years ago.

Which is why I’m so against it now.

Sonny Bill Williams has been stalking Paul Gallen for years. Picture: Getty Images

When the news broke across the News Corp platforms on Thursday that the heavyweight fight was closer than ever before, I immediately phoned Gallen.

I told him exactly what I’ll say here, “Don’t do it”.

We spoke about the potential impact on his health and being around a lot longer for Annie and his four beautiful children.

Gallen is falling straight into the trap that Williams has been baiting the NRL legend with for years.

Four-years younger than Gallen, SBW has been deliberately waiting in the background for Gallen to age, relax and mentally retire from ever boxing again just long enough to lure him back again.

If the fight doesn’t happen now, it never will - and Williams and his team know it.

Which is why SBW is now conveniently stalking the old bull. Williams is on a strategically timed mission to embarrass Gallen.

How so?

Paul Gallen wears a shot to the head in his 2022 fight against Kris Terzievski. Picture: Getty Images

Williams has suddenly backflipped on everything he has been dead set against for the past five years.

After years of haggling over the financial terms, which was always that Williams took the lion’s share of payments accrued from the fight promoters, the former Bulldogs, Roosters, Kiwi Test and New Zealand All Blacks forward has suddenly decided to accept an even 50-50 split on the purse.

That’s not a coincidence, that’s a tactic from Williams to snag the retired veteran with an offer - reportedly more than $1 million each - he can’t refuse.

However, there at least appears to be a seed of trepidation from Williams, which is surprising if he knew how many of Gallen’s closest mates have told him to move on and not bother accepting the fight.

Williams wants eight rounds lasting two-minutes per-round, as opposed to the three-minute rounds that Gallen wants.

The warhorse clearly believes he can outlast Williams.

The fear is that it won’t matter at all how long they dance for and that the Williams camp will use the same illegal holding tactics that Barry Hall used to land a draw against Gallen back in 2019.

It will turn into a borefest.

Before I hung-up the phone, Gallen spoke passionately about wanting to show his kids that in life, it’s important to have a crack and have no regrets.

I got the sense he was speaking for that 13-year-old boy that grew-up in Greystanes, whose Dad worked hard to make sure there was food in the house, but some days the cupboards were plain empty.

He spoke with his heart and soul.

I understand Gallen’s fire, it’s who he is.

But I don’t agree with it.

Originally published as Why Paul Gallen’s friends don’t want him to fight Sonny Bill, and why he probably will