A candid Paul Gallen has revealed he's beginning to worry about the lasting effects of head knocks off the back of a 400-game rugby league career and his ventures into professional boxing.<\/p>\n
The Cronulla Sharks great turned prize fighter has largely maintained a steely stance as the issue of concussion has taken centre stage on the NRL's agenda.<\/p>\n
But, when it was put to him how he felt about his own experience with Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) – the term used to describe brain degeneration likely caused by repeated head traumas – Gallen offered a rare glimpse into his concerns for his health.<\/p>\n
"Throughout my career I played just over 400 first-class games," Gallen told WWOS Radio on 2GB.<\/p>\n
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"I had two concussion tests ever. One of them was after an offload and Dylan Napa got me with a bit of a high shot and I stumbled a bit when I got back up but I was fine, I passed the test.<\/p>\n
"The other one I didn't need at all and I passed that test also. So, I was never knocked out thankfully.<\/p>\n
"With all this talk about it, I do think about it now, it is in my mind but I think that's only because there is so much talk about it.<\/p>\n
"I carry a pen with me whenever I'm doing radio now because sometimes I think I'm going to forget things so I write things down and that sort of worries me.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
"But I've got to say, if anything happens to me when I'm 50-60 years of age and someone said to me 'You shouldn't have done this, you shouldn't have done that', I wouldn't change what I'm doing.<\/p>\n
"I have athletic ability and I'm going to get every bit of that ability out of my body that I can.<\/p>\n
"And when I'm retired I'm going to have nothing left. That's my attitude at the moment and that will be my attitude going forward.<\/p>\n
"Do I worry about it? I'm starting to. But I'm not going to change."<\/p>\n
Gallen developed a reputation during his 19-year rugby league career with the Sharks, NSW and Australia as one of the toughest competitors in the game.<\/p>\n
He racked up giant metres, tackled relentlessly and was often in the thick of a scuffle, defending his teammates and relishing niggle from opponents.<\/p>\n
He also holds an undefeated record in boxing and is set to fight Australian heavyweight prodigy Justis Huni next month.<\/p>\n
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