CRONULLA captain Paul Gallen has faced accusations of diving to win a penalty during his side’s 22-16 victory over Wests Tigers on Saturday night, and the heat is still on four days later.
The bunker denied Tigers fullback James Tedesco a four-pointer in the first half after Wests captain Aaron Woods was ruled to have pulled on Gallen’s jumper and taken out the Sharks veteran.
Officials decided the hole which Tedesco fired through next to the ruck was created when Gallen fell to the ground as a result of Woods’ tug on his jersey. While there’s no doubt the space for Tedesco to cross was created when Gallen was pulled down, Tigers coach Ivan Cleary said the former NSW skipper was guilty of theatrics and playing for a penalty.
“Our game is different to other football codes — one in particular. We don’t condone diving,” Cleary said after the game. “But we did tonight. I’ll leave it at that.”
Gallen says he did nothing wrong and was forced to defend himself once more in what must have been a painful interview on Wednesday. Big Sports Breakfast hosts Michael Slater and Terry Kennedy grilled the 35-year-old for four minutes, wanting him to admit to taking a dive.
But time and time again Gallen maintained he was in the right. The tone of the interview was always lighthearted and laughs were peppered throughout — Kennedy and Slater have a good relationship with Gallen — but it was clear the Sharks forward was getting fed up at having to constantly clear his name.
Gallen claims Aaron Woods interfered with him.Source:News Corp Australia
Paul Gallen: Flogging a bit of a dead horse here unfortunately for Wests Tigers, Ivan Cleary and everyone else who wants to buy into it. It’s a penalty every day of the week and that’s the way it is — you can’t interfere with a defender. There’s a perfect example, the week before (in the Titans’ 16-12 win over the Sharks) Jack Bird scores a try and the Titans player puts his hands in the air and it was ruled no try. The referee actually ruled try on field but when they reviewed it they decided one of their players was impeded and we had the try taken off us. We lose that game by one try. You didn’t hear (Sharks coach) Shane Flanagan carrying on about it. He actually spoke to us midweek and said while that bloke wouldn’t have got Birdy in a million years you can’t do it, it’s no try so the Tigers should take a leaf out of his book and move on because it’s no try.
Terry Kennedy: No there’s no doubt about that — it is a penalty — but you did dive.
PG: Mate, listen, if I don’t fall over there the referees may not see it and all of a sudden I’m in a foot race with James Tedesco and as fast as I am there’s only ever going to be one winner there. That’s just the way it is. There was no reason for Woodsy to grab me so I think Tigers fans and everyone else should be looking at their own backyard and fixing up that issue there.
Michael Slater: I do recall you saying on this show previously that can be part of the game sometimes — milking it.
PG: I’m not saying I hammed it up. When someone shows me evidence of me not getting grabbed and interfered with I’ll say I fell over. It’s that simple.
TK: He didn’t force you to fall over though?
Who’s the real villain?Source:Getty Images
PG: He grabbed me for no reason and stopped my momentum in that space where I was supposed to be and James Tedesco ran straight through. It’s black and white, I don’t know what’s going on here.
TK: I understand the penalty right, but I’ve seen blokes put one on your chin and you don’t fall over. You’re not telling me Woodsy grabbing your jersey made you fall over?
PG: What I’m telling you is Woodsy grabbing my jersey stopped my momentum being where I should have been, and if I didn’t fall over, the referees may not have seen that. I just think people are trying to pass the buck here.
TK: I agree with that explanation from you, but you fell over on purpose to get the penalty.
PG: I fell over because I was made off balance by Aaron Woods. It’s that simple boys (laughter).
…
PG: I polarise people, I know that, that’s the way it is. I just want to do my job for the team and as I said in the current thing we’re talking about with this Tigers situation, they should take some responsibility and look at their own actions because if one of their players didn’t do what they did we wouldn’t be in this situation at all. Take a leaf out of Flanno’s book and move on.
TK: I will move on after this. If you had your time again would you do the same thing?
PG: One hundred per cent. I’m not letting a team score a try because their player performed an illegal act. That’s just the way it is. He grabbed me for no reason, there was no reason to grab me and as I said I’m never going to win a foot race with James Tedesco so I’m not coming off the end of a game like last week losing by one try because of what they did. They did the wrong thing, not me. That’s the guts of it all. People can make as many excuses up as they want. If they (the Tigers) stop making excuses up they might not be where they are on the ladder.
Your honour, the defence rests.
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