Paul Gallen announces he wants to play in Superleague.
Come on Saints get this one sorted
http://www.nrl.com/gallen-eyes-2016-...4/default.aspx
Paul Gallen announces he wants to play in Superleague.
Come on Saints get this one sorted
http://www.nrl.com/gallen-eyes-2016-...4/default.aspx
Maybe because he is one of the top forwards in the game?
Bores me all this I'll finish my career in the super league. No thanks, been a good player, now on the downward.
No doubt Hull will Hoover him up though on a big deal
It is boring but alas probably the only way that top Aussie players will play in England.
Obvious that players of his age are on the downward but Paul Gallen on a downward is still more than good enough to cut superleague to shreds
I'd take him rather than Wilkin at loose forward any day of the week.
Lance Hohaia out of contract end of this season and one of, if not the, highest earner at the club.
Gallen may be aged but he's a hell of a player still and what's more, a leader. Him at the back of the scrum for 12 months providing an example to Greenwood, Thompson, Savelio etc would be a quality acquisition IMHO. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
I don't usually advocate the signing of older foreigners but this is one I'd absolutely endorse.
He'll be 35 going on 36 by the time he'll get over here, sounds like a 2 year deal at Leeds replacing Peacock to me! There's no telli where the standard of his game will be at by that stage, most players hit the wall and pretty rapidly decline - he might be going strong or he could hit the wall this year.
The only forward out of contract for the end of 2016 is LMS (and Masoe if he takes up the 1 year option he has iirc) - we've spent the last 2 years redressing the balance in our squad, I'd hate for a 1 year deal to throw it off again.
I'd never say never, but I'd be incredibly cautious, and only act at the right price. Unfortunately the likes of Hull and Salford in the world means there's no chance of that happening.
Spot on SS! His leadership skills are just as good as his playing skills. Seems a no brainer to me.
Well if Paul Wellens is still going strong at 57 I'm sure Gallen will be fine
WON'T SOMEONE PLEASE THINK OF POOR BEN FLOWER?!
So he is currently 33, he wants a one year extension in the NRL to take him through to the 2016 season. Therefore would only be available in 2017 and people consider this a good move???
Not sure many 35 year olds make great RL players. I'll wait and see, don't want to spend a huge amount of the cap on a has been with a likelihood for serious injuries.
Leave well alone. If he was 30 it would be a different matter.
So what if he's coming to the end of his career if he can still produce the goods?
With this attitude we would never have had Ward, Britt or Fairleigh.
For what it's worth I don't think we'd be able to compete on money terms with some other clubs even if we did want him.
Hey I am 55 this year can I have a contract....load of Bo******
Learned comment from The Don
You're right.
I'd read that article wholly wrong and thought it was in view of the end of the coming season. Another year on top over there before coming here makes me think differently. I'd want to see how he's going at that point before showing interest. If he's still at the same level he is now, I wouldn't be against a 12 month deal. Whether he is at the same level is questionable though IMHO.
The other side is that a large part of my thinking was his influence on our younger lads in the forwards. In two years, Greenwood, Thompson etc are likely to be well established first teamers.
When they both signed for saints;
Darren Britt was 32
David Fairleigh was 30
Paul Gallen will be 35/36 years old. Yeah one of the best in his position during his time but probably past his sell by date at that age.
As said above I'd prefer to stick with our young lads with a few career prime Aussies such as Luke Walsh etc
Totally agree. One of the best forwards in Rugby League – still.
IF Gal were to come to SL I would love him to come to Saints. Trouble is if he were to sign for another SL club…….. Would personally hate having to watch him playing for a rival and then for the team to have to play against him!
Different proposition if he was 30 though.
Learned comment from The Don
Peacock and Leuleiu are still going strong at almost 40.
Someone will probably correct me on the technical, but as you advance into your 30's your type 1 muscle tissue (fast twitch) deteriorates. This is why you lose your pace or, more accurately, speed of the mark. Your type 2 muscle tissue (slow twitch) doesn't start to go down hill until much later in life, so you can technically keep getting stronger until around the age of 40. This is why props can keep going so long.
If Gallen's looked after himself and any old injuries aren't causing him much jip, then he may still be a very good player at 35.
if we did sign him, its not like we'd be putting all our eggs in one basket and relying on him. I would be very excited about it.
Darren smith signed for us at 30+ then went back to playing NRL after he left (and played a game for the Aussie's immediately after his contract expired).
In 2 years time Luke Thompson will be better than Gallen
You never say never. But we are talking about a player who may come to SL in 2 years time.
You would find it difficult to predict tooth decay over a 2 year period, never mind an entire physical.
I just felt there was a little too much blind enthusiasm, with the get him signed scenario. If some other club was to offer him a contract to start in 2 years time, then I would hope that we would not try to compete in that type of market place. Warrington did that with clarke, but it was only one year ahead and with a younger player, where time is not an issue.
I don't think he would be cheap and would someone on the same wage be better in 2 years time, quite likely.
I would hope and expect that a couple of our young lads will be better value than PG when they have 2 more years experience; and he is 2 years older.