Family man ... Wests Tiger Shannon
Gallant and his 20 month old son Preston at home in Ambarvale. Photograph Angelo Soulas
Source: The Daily Telegraph
WESTS Tigers fullback Shannon Gallant has set himself an eight-week deadline to make it as an NRL player - or he will join the police force.
Signed by the Tigers on an incentive-structured contract with a base value of just $20,000 for the season,
Gallant has walked the NRL breadline for the past two seasons. Off contract in October and with 20-month-old son Preston and fiancee Brooke Munro at home in Ambarvale, the Wests Magpies junior is fighting to forge a career on a battler's income.
But the fullback nicknamed Mighty Mouse, who pockets an extra $2,500 for every NRL match he plays, isn't about to complain. "I might be struggling a bit but I'd be happy to brush my match payments just to play in the NRL,''
Gallant said.
"Obviously they come in handy and I desperately need them. But that's how keen I am just to get a go. It's hard trying to make things work but this is a dream ... sometimes you've got to struggle a bit to get through."
"This is the most important eight weeks of my rugby league life. It could be the end of my career - or it could be just the start.I've just got to work hard for the family now."
"My family's always helped me through the tough times. But if rugby league doesn't work then I want to become a police officer. I'd like to start in uniform but eventually I'd like to work on the highway patrol.''
With the Tigers finals hopes all but extinguished,
Gallant has earned an opportunity after coach Tim Sheens opted to scrap the controversial experiment of playing Benji Marshall at halfback.
Regular fullback Tim Moltzen is now wearing the No.7 jumper, with Marshall playing five-eighth. That means
Gallant will today make his debut at Leichhardt Oval - opposite a player he has spent countless hours studying in the shape of North Queensland's Matt Bowen.
"I've watched that many tapes on Matt Bowen,''
Gallant said. "I try to replicate my game on him ... so I can't wait to get an opportunity against him.''
New Tigers chief executive Stephen Humphreys said the club was likely to make a decision within the next fortnight on whether
Gallant is given a new contract. "We're just in the final throes of locking down our playing roster for next year,'' Humphreys said.
"We still have two or three spots to determine so Shannon is very much in our thinking. The first half of the year probably didn't play out the way Shannon would have liked but he's continued to work hard and finds himself back in the NRL team so he's very much in the mix for us.''
Gallant has pocketed a total of $30,000 so far this season - before tax - and hopes some strong from will see him remain in the NRL.
Thanks NC for the original post on the WT forum .
, He is gunna be fantastic for you guys just as he would have been here if given a fair chance. Mighty Mouse will be a crowd favourite with the cowboys for sure ,he deserves all the good fortunes coming his way. Well Done Shannon.
