By Dean Ritchie
September 14, 2006
NEW South Wales back rower Paul Gallen has rocked the Sharks by asking for a release, and the club suspects a rival NRL club has attempted to poach him.
Signed until the end of 2007, Sharks chief executive Greg Pierce last night torpedoed the move, saying: "There's no way he's going anywhere."
Gallen fronted Pierce and under-pressure coach Stuart Raper last Friday to request the right to move on.
The development comes with the Sharks in the middle of conducting an internal review after crashing out of finals contention amid the worst losing streak in the club's 40-year history.
"I just feel like it might be time for a change. It's not that I don't like the place or the coaching staff or anything like that. I just want to play semi-final football," Gallen said.
"You only get a short playing career and I'm looking for a fresh start and a fresh challenge. I told Stuart (Raper) and Greg (Pierce) direct.
"They both said it would be crazy for them to let me go, so I don't like my chances."
The Sharks will finish conducting their review tomorrow. The club is understood to be close to coming to terms with sacked Sydney Roosters coach Ricky Stuart to replace Raper next season.
Pierce suspects Gallen may have been approached with a big-money offer to join a rival club.
"Asking for a release and getting a release are two different things altogether," Pierce said.
"I dare say he's been made an offer by another club, which disappoints me.
"He probably thinks he can earn more money and he probably wishes he was in the semi-finals, but so do we all."
But Gallen's agent David Riolo denied the Origin star had been approached by another NRL club.
Gallen collected the Sharks supporters' player of the year award at Cronulla's 2006 presentation night last Tuesday.
