Like all great performers, Paul Gallen has resorted to playing the hits during his encore.
Whispering Jack has You’re The Voice. Barnsey has Working Class Man. For Gallen, it’s SBW’s flight by night to France while at the Bulldogs.
It’s the key message during Gallen’s tour of podcasts, media scrums and radio spots: SBW is the type of bloke who leaves mates in the lurch.
Gallen has done his bit to sell this fight. Even with two and a half years of ring rust, he still knows a hook - both in the ring and on the mic - and how to pit himself against his opponent as a moral referendum: if with you’re him you stand for this. If you’re with me, you won’t cop that.
From Sonny Bill’s side the same rules apply - just under different criteria.
“I’m about being a man, I'm about telling the truth: him bringing up the Bulldogs saga…good on ya, bro,” SBW told Sporting News.
“You’re a drug cheat, plain and simple.”
And so it’s gone, back and forth. Gal charges mates to come to his BBQ. SBW charges for food reviews. Both did drugs. Both have cushy jobs.
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For Gallen, somewhat surprisingly, it’s not something he particularly relishes.
“[Selling the fight] It’s hard,” Gallen told Sporting News during one of his final sessions.
“I forgot about this side of it. I suppose when you don't really like someone - which I never have - it makes it a bit harder for me because there'd be so many things I could bring up about him, and that would be a bit of a low blow and I said I'm not gonna do that.
“I don't want to do things that's going to embarrass his family or affect his family, so I haven't gone certain places which has been hard.
“But…”
There it is.
“He has and that goes to show the person he really is. You forget about the selling side of it, the training side of it I enjoy, but the selling side of it is not the funnest thing.”
This fight is not what it could have been: both sides acknowledge that. Perhaps that makes it more compelling. Despite his unquestioned athletic prowess, it’s unlikely SBW would be the favourite in this fight had Gallen fought at the peak of his fighting career when he went 10 rounds with Justis Huni.
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For Gallen, despite his claiming there’s no game plan in Monday’s final press conference, his approach is simple.
“I'm past my best, but I've got enough to beat this bloke: I know I do,” he said. “Everyone knows the way I fight: I've got to go forward.”
“I'm 5 '10”, he’s 6' 3” so I've got to go forward from the beginning. For him to move backwards and just keep me at a distance for two minutes is a whole lot easier than three minutes.
“To do that round after round's pretty hard; I've got no doubt by the eighth round I'll be able to catch up with him.
“I think I've got to knock him out to win.”
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For Gallen, it’s not unachievable. The referee has stepped in during wins over Justin Hodges, Darcy Lussick and Lucas Browne since the former NSW Origin captain retired and became a full-time boxer.
He’s also about to turn 44.
No matter what happens, this is it for Gallen. All along he’s claimed legacy means nothing - he just may mean it.
“Legacy's something you get when you don't get paid,” he said.
“100% this is it. My wife would leave me: it'd cost me way too much money then, wouldn't it?”
He laughs.
“I'd be in big trouble. No, this is it.”
SBW vs. Gallen fight card and odds
Bouts and order subject to change. Odds per bookmaker Sportsbet
- Sonny Bill Williams ($1.94) vs. Paul Gallen ($2.25); heavyweight
- Kris Terzievski vs. Troy Pilcher; bridgerweight
- Clay Waterman vs. Mose Auimatagi Jr.; light heavyweight
- Kane Baker vs. Johan Linde; heavyweight
- David Nyika vs. Nikolas Charalampous; cruiserweight
- Rahim Mundine vs. Joe Vatusaqata; supermiddleweight
- Alex Leapai Jr. vs. Herve Silu Mata; heavyweight