Paul Gallen was clowning around in the Shark Park showers after a recent victory when it hit him.
This rugby league caper is just too good to give up.
“Wado (Wade Graham) said ‘it’s like we’ve never left school’,” Gallen said.
“It made me think ‘what I lifestyle I get to live’. You get to play rugby league, train every day, stay fit and healthy, hang out with my mates.
“I know the game is hard and there is a lot of pressure and expectation. At the end of the day, I am doing something I have loved since I was a kid.
“Why would I want to just give it up? If I’ve got the ability to keep doing it I will keep doing it.”
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Two days later, Gallen was in Shane Flanagan’s office telling him he wanted to bat on for a record-breaking 19th consecutive season.
“I sat down with Flanno and told him I was a long time retired (and) I don’t see why I should retire,” he explained.
“He said ‘you need to tell me if you want to play or not?’
“And I said ‘I think I do’.
“He said ‘well good, because I think we’re a better team and a better club with you here’.''
After waiting almost his entire career to lift the premiership trophy, Gallen now finds himself in with a genuine shot at a second title in three seasons.
The in-form Sharks meet minor premiers the Roosters in Saturday night’s first qualifying final at Allianz Stadium.
A win would put them one game away from another grand final appearance.
“We just have to put in everything into this week and if you win then you get the week off and you’re 80 minutes from a grand final. It’s a huge game for us this week,” Gallen said.
“At the end of the day, we are where we need to be and where we wanted to be from the start of the year – that’s in the top four. We just have to go do the rest of the job now.”