What Is Paul Gallen's Net Worth?

Paul Gallen is an Australian former professional rugby player and professional boxer who has a net worth of $10 million. Paul Gallen served as captain of the National Rugby League team the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks, playing as a prop, lock, and second-row forward. Gallen was previously the captain of the New South Wales State of Origin team, and he was vice captain of the Australian national rugby league team. The Sharks won the 2016 NRL Premiership and were runner-ups in the 2017 World Club Series. Paul played 19 seasons with the Sharks, and he and Cameron Smith share the Australian first grade record for the most seasons played in the National Rugby League (19). Gallen became a professional boxer in 2014 and won 16 of the 19 fights he took part in. He has also been a panelist on "SportsFan Clubhouse" and has appeared on "100% Footy" and "Sports Sunday."

Early Life

Paul Gallen was born Paul Mark Gallen on August 14, 1981, in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. He played for the Wentworthville Magpies in the junior rugby league, and he competed in the S. G. Ball Cup during his time in the Parramatta Eels junior system. After the Eels overlooked Gallen, he signed with the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks. He told The Sun-Herald, "I played SG Ball for them, that's it. I'm from the district but I wouldn't call myself an ex-Parramatta player, that's for sure. I wasn't really getting a look-in there and decided to go elsewhere. I wanted to move away from the area and I knew one of the Cronulla trainers at the time."

National Rugby League Career

Gallen played his first match with the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in June 2001, and he played in one more game that season. He made 21 appearances at first-grade level in 2002 and 17 appearances in 2003. During the opening round of the 2004 season, Paul got in a fight with Wests Tigers player John Skandalis, and the NRL Judiciary suspended him for two weeks on a contrary conduct charge. In June 2004, Gallen extended his contract with the Sharks for three more seasons. During the 2004 season, he scored five tries in 19 appearances. In 2005, the Sharks made it to the finals but were defeated by the St. George Illawarra Dragons. Paul received the 2005 Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks Chairman's Award due to his impressive performance that season; he led the NRL in off loads and hit ups. He was also nominated for Best Lock at the Dally M Awards. During the 2005 season, Gallen scored six tries in 25 games and ran nearly 4,000 metres with the ball, which was more than any other NRL player. After the 2005 season ended, Paul underwent surgery for a bulging disc in his back, and he returned to the game within nine weeks. Later that year, he was chosen to play for the City New South Wales rugby league team in the City vs Country match, and he was selected to play on the Prime Minister's XIII team. At the end of the 2006 season, in which he scored seven tries in 18 appearances, he was honored with the Sharks' supporters player of the year award.

Gallen missed part of the 2007 season due to an ankle injury, and he injured his shoulder later that year: he was also named captain of the Sharks. In 2008, he represented Australia in the Centenary Test and was selected for Australia's 24-man squad for the Rugby League World Cup. In 2009, he was the subject of public outrage after he used a racial slur toward St. George Illawarra, and Paul subsequently stepped down from the position of Cronulla captain. He became captain again in 2011, and he won an RLIF Award for Lock Forward of the Year. He won the same award at the 2012 Dally M Awards. In 2014, Gallen pleaded guilty to having used banned peptides unknowingly and the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority gave him a reduced, backdated ban. In 2017, he was selected for the City v Country match again, and the following year, he became the first NRL player to achieve 50,000 running metres. In 2019, he was voted one of the greatest NRL players of the decade. He played his final NRL match in September 2019, and Sharks coach John Morris stated, "We are all better people for knowing Paul Gallen and having played with Paul Gallen, and I am certainly going to be a better coach for having been able to coach Paul Gallen."

Boxing Career

In 2012, Gallen took up amateur boxing as part of a New Zealand charity event involving the rugby league and the rugby union. Paul fought Hikawera Elliot, an international rugby union player from New Zealand, and won in the third round in a unanimous points victory. The following year, he defeated Liam Messam, another  international New Zealand player, in three rounds in a split decision. Paul turned professional in 2014, and he won his first fight, against Herman Ene-Purcell, via a technical knockout in the second round. Later that year, he fought Anthony Watts, winning in the first round via a technical knockout. In 2015, Gallen defeated Randall Rayment in January and Bodene Thompson in November, both via unanimous decision in the fourth round. He won his first nine bouts as a professional boxer, and his tenth fight, against Barry Hall in November 2019, ended in a draw after six rounds. Paul's thirteenth bout was his first loss; he was defeated by Justis Huni in June 2021 via a technical knockout in the tenth round. He won his next fight, defeating Darcy Lussick via a technical knockout in the third round in December 2021. Gallen fought Kris Terzievski in May 2022 and lost via unanimous decision after the tenth round. He won his next three bouts, one via a technical knockout and two via unanimous decision. Paul announced his retirement in November 2022, but he returned to the ring in July 2025 to defeat Sonny Bill Williams via split decision in the eighth round.

Personal Life

Paul and his wife, Anne, have been married since 2012. They have four children: daughters Charley, Macy, and Ruby and son Kody.

Awards

Gallen won the Dally M Lock of the Year award in 2011, 2012, and 2017, the RLIF Lock of the Year award in 2008, 2011, and 2012, and the Harry Sunderland Medal in 2010 and 2011. He was named RLW Player of the Year in 2010, and he received the Brad Fittler Medal and Peter Frilingos Memorial Award in 2011 and the Wally Lewis Medal in 2014.

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