Debuts: When Paul Gallen told Jason Stevens to f**k off in his NRL debut

Brendan Bradford

Debuts: When Paul Gallen told Jason Stevens to f**k off in his NRL debut image

'Debuts' is an ongoing Sporting News series telling the stories of athletes' debut matches, races, fights or competitions. From funny yarns, to untold stories and tales of overcoming, we'll be publishing new articles and videos regularly. Check out more debut stories with Robbie Farah, Todd Carney, George Rose, Tim Tszyu and Tony de las Heras here. 

Paul Gallen was involved in some of the most memorable on-field stoushes in his playing days, but the very first person he exchanged words with on the footy paddock was a teammate.

And not just any old teammate.

As a 19-year-old debutant coming off the bench for Cronulla midway through the 2001 season, Gallen gave an earful to veteran New South Wales and Australian Test forward Jason Stevens.

Stevens was Cronulla's captain that day too, but Gallen says he was in the right when he delivered his spray.

After playing SG Ball with Parramatta, Gallen had been signed by the Sharks a year and a half earlier, straight out of high school.

Showing immediate promise, the future New South Wales captain only played a handful of Jersey Flegg games before he was promoted to reserve grade.

In 2000, he was named Cronulla’s reserve grade player of the year, and a crack at the NRL surely wasn’t far off.

Gallen was selected as the Sharks’ 18th man a handful of times as the 2001 season progressed, before Cronulla coach John Lang finally gave him the call-up.

“I didn’t realise how excited I was until seeing all the cars in the carpark,” Gallen tells Sporting News on the 20th anniversary of that match.

“There usually wasn’t that many cars around when I played.”

Like any debutant, Gal wanted to make an immediate impact in his first taste of top-flight footy. It was that eagerness that caused his run-in with Stevens.

“We’d come back onside after they’d kicked down field and I’ve put my hand up and said ‘my run,’” Gallen tells Sporting News.

“I wanted the ball and wanted to take the next run.

“Jason Stevens had only just come back on the field, and I was in the position to make the run. I was in the right, because he’d only just come back on.”

Not that Stevens was having a bar of that.

“So, I'd said ‘my run, my run’ and he’s gone ‘nah, piss off,’” Gallen says.

“I just said ‘nah, f**k off, it’s my run’ and ran.”

It was a bold move.

“At the end of the game he goes ‘I think you’re gonna go somewhere,’” Gallen says of Stevens’ reaction.

Jason Sevens

“’You’re the only bloke on debut I’ve ever heard of who’s told a veteran front-rower to f**k off.’

“Thankfully he didn’t hate me over it. A lot of guys would’ve, but we had a good relationship.”

It wasn’t the only infamous incident from Gallen’s debut.

Earlier in the match, he received the ball deep in Eels territory and spotted some space in behind the defensive line.

That’s what he thought, anyway.

“I always thought I had more skill than I did,” he says.

“I had a run and a couple of big front-rowers were in front of me. I remember Michael Vella was one of them, but I couldn’t see anyone behind the line and I decided to kick.

“I thought ‘I’m gonna get this through and score here.’

“(Eels fullback) Brett Hodgson was tiny and I couldn’t see him behind the two front-rowers. As soon as I chipped it through, Hodgson came and picked it up and ran the other way.

“It obviously wasn’t the best kick.”

Still, it didn't end as badly as the only other time he tried kicking during a game. 

“The next chip I tried was in about 2018 and I did my medial against the Dragons trying to chip for Wade Graham," he says.

“I chipped and did my medial, so didn’t try too many.”

Parramatta was a gun side in 2001, and won that match 36-6.

Gallen's only other taste of NRL footy that year came nine weeks later as the Sharks scored a 24-16 win over reigning premiers Brisbane. 

"My first two games were against an unbelievable Parramatta side and Brisbane, who'd won the comp the year before," Gallen says. 

"That was my introduction to first grade - two gun sides. It was full on actually." 

DEBUTS SERIES

Check out previous 'Debuts' stories here. 

 

Brendan Bradford