I just finished watching the highlights of the Souths/ Cronulla game. Gallen's knee injury doesn't look too bad.
Of more concern for NSW followers, is the knee to Taylor's head, which is on report. I don't think that Gallen will be able to argue his way out of a suspension. Taylor was on the ground attempting to rise to play the ball when Gallen steps forward and solidly contacts Taylor's head with his knee. Compounding it for Gallen, is the fact that he not only knees Taylor in the face, but continues to advance upon Taylor after the initial knee to the head, with Taylor fending-off Gallen's boots from subsequently striking him in the face more than once after the initial knee to the head.
The ref penalises and Gallen protests that he was trying to step over him. EDIT: Gallen was protesting that Taylor had hold of his leg. The footage clearly shows that Taylor only grabs Gallen's leg after being kneed in the face. End of EDIT. However, Gallen will have difficulty showing cause for just why he had to advance upon Taylor, who Gallen was holding down flat on his back on the turf. Gallen will not be able to use the defence that he was merely marking the man playing the ball, since Taylor at no stage had risen from the turf. Nor will he be able to use the defense that he was still making the tackle, since the tackle had been completed. Almost immediately after the ensuing penalty, Inglis scores a try for Souths.
Not as bad as the elbow to Thurston's scone, but grubby stuff and the sort of brain-explosion that is typical of Gallen. People wonder why I don't think that Gallen is Origin material, but it is his brain-explosions and the stupid penalties, which mark him out as a liability to the Blues. 'Captain Headless Chicken'.
I'll predict a three or four match ban, at least.
