Sharks coach Shane Flanagan has confirmed captain Paul Gallen will play in Cronulla’s important early season clash with Parramatta, contrary to reports on Thursday that Gallen would miss the match with a foot injury.
Gallen trained on Friday as part of Cronulla’s captain’s run and will be right to take on the Eels at ANZ Stadium, with the loser to slip to a zero and three record to start the season.
The 36-year-old Gallen battled a pectoral injury during pre-season but has managed 101 minutes in Cronulla’s opening two losses to North Queensland and St George Illawarra.
“[Gallen’s] in. Sometimes when you get a bit older you don’t train at the start of the week but I knew he’d play. He trained well today, or as Gal does on captain’s run. He’ll be there tomorrow,” Flanagan said.
“He has had a few little bumps and bruises carried on from probably pre-season. He sort of struggled to get ready for week one and got ready for week one. He was ok in week two and then just didn’t train at the start of the week but he trained today and he’ll be there [against the Eels].”
The news wasn’t all good for the Sharks with Flanagan confirming veteran back-rower Luke Lewis would not return from an ankle injury against the Eels, opting to hold back the 2016 Clive Churchill Medalist for Cronulla’s Good Friday clash with Melbourne next weekend.
While Parramatta were blown away by Manly in suffering a 54-0 drubbing last Sunday, Flanagan is less concerned by the manner of his side’s opening two defeats. A six-point loss to 2017 grand finalists the Cowboys in Johnathan Thurston’s 300th NRL game in Townsville was followed by a four-point loss to the Dragons, where an excellent first half was ruined by a desperately poor second.
“If you really look closely at our start it has been disappointing that we haven’t got wins. [But] there’s not a lot been poor or bad, it’s just been that we haven’t got the two competition points. And that’s what it’s all about in the end, we need to find those two competition points no matter how we get it. If it’s one point, 10 points, whatever, we just need to find a win,” Flanagan said.
“It’s always a challenge when you play against a side who’ve put in a disappointing performance. That’s not me judging their performance, I’ve heard [Eels coach] Brad [Arthur] talk about it. So it’s a tough one, a tricky one to approach. But in the end we need to concentrate on what we can control. That’s what we’ve done this week, we haven’t spoken too much about how they’re feeling or how they’re going to bounce back.”
While much has been made about the wrestle for his side’s No.1 jersey between Josh Dugan and Valentine Holmes, Flanagan said Cronulla were prepared for Parramatta’s mooted switch of Jarryd Hayne to fullback at the expense of rising star Bevan French.
“If you watch the game closely he’s been [switching to fullback] a fair bit in the first two rounds especially offensively,” Flanagan said.
“Probably not defensively which is probably taking a little bit out of Jarryd having to defend in that front line. I’m not quite sure we’re they’ll put him defensively but over the last couple of weeks as soon as they get the ball he’s back at fullback.”