Former New South Wales captain Paul Gallen has ignited a firestorm ahead of the State of Origin series, launching a blistering verbal assault on the Queensland Maroons and their supporters. Speaking on 2GB radio in Sydney, Gallen expressed his disdain for the Maroons' repeated claims of being underdogs, describing the narrative as 'sickening' and 'disgusting'.
Gallen's Tirade Against Queensland
Gallen, who is already public enemy number one north of the border, did not hold back in his criticism. 'I hate just how they think Origin's all about them, their own self-importance. It's embarrassing,' he said. 'To hear them talk about the underdog tag and how they're underdogs, and how NSW are deserving favourites, it's honestly sickening. It's disgusting.'
The former Blues captain, who endured 10 series defeats and only one victory in 2016, questioned why the Maroons feel the need to adopt the underdog status. 'Like, I don't understand why they need it so much,' Gallen added. 'They've won more Origin games than us. They've won more series than us ... for them to continually carry on about it, it's sickening.'
Passion and Pride
Gallen also took aim at the perception that Queenslanders are more passionate about Origin, a claim fueled by their dominance from 2006 to 2013. 'Because of what happened in that eight-year period with us, they're able to say that,' he said. 'But when you've got probably six or seven future Immortals in the side, you're probably going to win most games. But I hate them being able to say it.'
The former prop forward contrasted the attitudes of the two camps. 'You know, whenever we win, we're just happy to win and walk away and wait till next year. We don't carry on and rub it into Queensland's face,' Gallen said. 'So I'm hoping if we win this year, I'm going to be letting every single Queenslander know about it for 12 months. Yes, every single one of them, because the crap they carry on with is ridiculous.'
Origin Preview
Queensland coach Billy Slater is aiming for his fourth series victory in charge, while the Maroons enter the 2026 series as underdogs, with bookmakers listing them as $2.30 outsiders for game one compared to the Blues at $1.65. Gallen's comments have added extra spice to what promises to be a fiercely contested series.
