ST George legend Norm Provan believes New South Wales captain Paul Gallen should be considered for rugby league “Immortality” even if he never wins a premiership.
Provan, 81, who now lives on the Sunshine Coast, believes Gallen’s loyalty to Cronulla, despite 14 seasons without success, should only enhance his chances of joining the game’s greatest players.
“The fact that he can keep playing the way he plays without those premierships takes a lot of bloody heart, I’ll tell you,” Provan said yesterday.
The Immortal debate was thrown wide open yesterday when Immortal Bob Fulton told Sydney’s Daily Telegraph Gallen’s credentials stacked up against the Maroons stars who have led Queensland to eight consecutive series wins.
Sea Eagles great Fulton is one of eight Immortals but the unending search for future additions has become a constant source of debate in league circles.
Provan has continually been overlooked despite winning 10 consecutive premierships with the Dragons, playing four as captain-coach.
He believes Gallen, who has been the Rugby League Week player of the year (2010), Dally M Lock of the Year (2012) and RLIF Lock of the Year twice (2008, 2011) but never lifted a trophy at state or club level, should be in the mix.
“The only argument against it is the titles,” Provan said.
“Do you have to have titles to make you a great player? Of course you don’t have to.
“You can nearly win heaps of premierships, but not get there. But you personally can put a tremendous amount of work and good play into it.
“You don’t have to have titles; you don’t have to have premierships.
“It would certainly be a help, but you certainly don’t have to have premierships to make you a great player.”
Fulton rates Gallen as New South Wales’ greatest ever forward and believes his credentials should be examined alongside Queensland’s current greats.
“We talk about Darren Lockyer, Greg Inglis, Cameron Smith, Johnathan Thurston and Billy Slater as future Immortals, which is fair enough too,” Fulton said.
“It’s just that I’d include Paul Gallen in that company too. He’s the best NSW Origin forward I’ve seen.
“He’s played magnificently for Australia over a long period of time in the back-row and front-row. He can play 80 minutes.
“All the players want to play with him. He’s the man you’d want to go to war with.”
While Provan is a fan of Gallen’s, he believes the selection panel has to stick with a selection criteria and only endorse the most outstanding candidates.
He believes sportsmanship should be just as important as a player’s skill level or on-field achievements.
“The criteria has to be a clean player with some ability and a good leader and I think (Gallen) fits that,” Provan said.
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