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Australia and NSW representative Paul Gallen wins his second Harry Sunderland medal
Honoured: Paul Gallen won his second Harry Sunderland medal. Picture: Angelo Soulas. Source: The Sunday Telegraph
IN horse racing parlance, it's the equivalent of winning back-to-back Melbourne Cups.
After a victorious four-week tour of the UK, Cronulla captain Paul Gallen has been honoured with his second Harry Sunderland Medal as Australia's international player of the year.
The Cronulla captain becomes the fourth player in the 56-year history of the award to win back-to-back Sunderland medals, joining former champion halfback Billy Smith, Team of the Century forward Ron Coote and Golden Boot winner Anthony Minichiello.
And if Gallen wasn't already regarded as a modern-day John Sattler, the Kangaroos prop reinforced his reputation by pushing through Australia's Four Nations campaign with a broken rib.
"It's an achievement I'm very proud of. We're probably the best team in the world and to be voted the best player amongst superstars like Johnathan Thurston, Darren Lockyer and Billy Slater is very humbling," Gallen said.
"Those guys are the ones who put all the flash stuff on, I just try to go out there and do my work."
Australian Rugby League chief executive Geoff Carr presented Gallen with the medal during a private Kangaroos ceremony at the Crowne Plaza hotel in Leeds after the Four Nations final.
The Sunderland medal has traditionally been awarded to the best Australian player in every international series since 1964, when it was won by John Raper.
It was named in honour of Harry Sunderland, an Australian official considered a pioneer for his work in Queensland and the UK from 1913 to the 1940s.
Initially awarded to the best Australian player in an overseas international series until 1992, it ceased being presented during the Super League war. It was re-introduced in 2004 and is now presented to the outstanding Australian player of each international season, as voted by the coach and the players.
"When you look at the calibre of players that have won it, full stop, I reckon to win it once is a massive achievement," Carr said.
"It's a very traditional medal. It still looks exactly the same as the original one given to John Raper in 1964, and I know the players regard it as one of the highest individual honours in the game."
Granted a rest as his Sharks team-mates rip into pre-season training, Gallen said the Four Nations victory dulled any pain from his broken rib.
"I hurt my rib pretty badly in the Test up in Newcastle and, yeah, I had to have it needled every game," Gallen said. "I was wearing a special protective guard for a while, but by the end of the Four Nations I was just getting it needled. Chris Heighington got me with a direct hit on it against England at Wembley and it rattled it up a fair bit."
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...sunderland-medal/story-e6frexnr-1226218856168
Honoured: Paul Gallen won his second Harry Sunderland medal. Picture: Angelo Soulas. Source: The Sunday Telegraph
IN horse racing parlance, it's the equivalent of winning back-to-back Melbourne Cups.
After a victorious four-week tour of the UK, Cronulla captain Paul Gallen has been honoured with his second Harry Sunderland Medal as Australia's international player of the year.
The Cronulla captain becomes the fourth player in the 56-year history of the award to win back-to-back Sunderland medals, joining former champion halfback Billy Smith, Team of the Century forward Ron Coote and Golden Boot winner Anthony Minichiello.
And if Gallen wasn't already regarded as a modern-day John Sattler, the Kangaroos prop reinforced his reputation by pushing through Australia's Four Nations campaign with a broken rib.
"It's an achievement I'm very proud of. We're probably the best team in the world and to be voted the best player amongst superstars like Johnathan Thurston, Darren Lockyer and Billy Slater is very humbling," Gallen said.
"Those guys are the ones who put all the flash stuff on, I just try to go out there and do my work."
Australian Rugby League chief executive Geoff Carr presented Gallen with the medal during a private Kangaroos ceremony at the Crowne Plaza hotel in Leeds after the Four Nations final.
The Sunderland medal has traditionally been awarded to the best Australian player in every international series since 1964, when it was won by John Raper.
It was named in honour of Harry Sunderland, an Australian official considered a pioneer for his work in Queensland and the UK from 1913 to the 1940s.
Initially awarded to the best Australian player in an overseas international series until 1992, it ceased being presented during the Super League war. It was re-introduced in 2004 and is now presented to the outstanding Australian player of each international season, as voted by the coach and the players.
"When you look at the calibre of players that have won it, full stop, I reckon to win it once is a massive achievement," Carr said.
"It's a very traditional medal. It still looks exactly the same as the original one given to John Raper in 1964, and I know the players regard it as one of the highest individual honours in the game."
Granted a rest as his Sharks team-mates rip into pre-season training, Gallen said the Four Nations victory dulled any pain from his broken rib.
"I hurt my rib pretty badly in the Test up in Newcastle and, yeah, I had to have it needled every game," Gallen said. "I was wearing a special protective guard for a while, but by the end of the Four Nations I was just getting it needled. Chris Heighington got me with a direct hit on it against England at Wembley and it rattled it up a fair bit."
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...sunderland-medal/story-e6frexnr-1226218856168
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