Latest news with #PaulGallen
RNZ News
2 days ago
- Sport
- RNZ News
Paul Gallen calls Sonny Bill Williams a 'dropkick', disliked by the All Blacks
Paul Gallen and SBW will finally square off in Sydney on July 16. Photo: Photosport The war of words has gone nuclear. Paul Gallen is looking to inflict as much damage on Sonny Bill Williams (SBW) as possible before the pair finally square off in the ring on 16 July in Sydney. Unleashing a barrage towards his opponent, Gallen said that there is nothing to respect about Williams, and said most New Zealanders want to see SBW lose the highly anticipated fight. However, despite appearances, the former Kangaroo said the feud is not personal. "I don't care. he's just someone in front of me I need to beat. That's all it is. I don't like him, I don't respect him, but I don't care about him. He's got no influence over me. I'm not concerned about what he says or what he does." Traditionally not a fan of trash-talk, SBW has uncharacteristically shown plenty of vitriol towards Gallen, labelling him a "narcissistic p**k," and even accusing him of using steroids. Gallen insisted he's been unaffected by the barbs Williams has thrown. "You've got to respect the person to worry about their opinion and there's certainly no respect for that bloke. He's a drop kick." He alleged that even SBW's fellow countrymen will be rooting against him. "I just think the way he holds himself, the way everything's about Sonny. The amount of Kiwis that I met over in Perth actually during origin that want me to beat him. I just really want to hurt this bloke, I don't like him. There's nothing about him I like. Nothing." A fight ten years in the making, Gallen said his disdain for Williams started even earlier in 2008, when the young prodigy dramatically left the NRL and switched codes to Toulon. "This hasn't started just because of this fight. I haven't liked him for a very long time. Dating right back to what he done at the Bulldogs, he's not a good person and I get to sort that out in a month's time." The pair have been trading verbal barbs for over a decade. Photo: Photosport Gallen has even implied that Williams was not liked during his time with the All Blacks from 2010-2019. "I don't know what happened with him and the All Blacks. I'm not a rugby man. I know the All Blacks is your pride and joy, but I get the feeling that he wasn't the most liked person within the All Blacks arena either. I think when you look at something successful as the All Blacks when they don't like him, I think it says a hell of a lot about who the person is." The 43-year-old admits while his fitness may not be what it once was, he hasn't lost any power. "We all know his chin's not great but I have to get him first, it's easier said than done. Everyone wants to knock someone out, everyone wants to think, they're a fighter. If it was that easy, everyone would be doing it at the end of the day. And then obviously we know people can't, so I'll get to get in there and have a good red crack, and see what happens." Gallen is planning to stand and trade leather with Williams should the Kiwi look to engage in close. "Look, that's my natural type of fighting anyway. I've got to go forward now. He's obviously six four. I'm 5'11'', so I've got to go forward and draw him anyway, so that's the way it's going to be. That's why I've always bought, that's my style of fighting. So, that's what will happen." So will the pair bury the hatchet after meeting in the ring? "There's not a chance mate. I've got no respect for the bloke. I don't want to shake his hand. If he wants to put his hand out I'll shake it out of sportsmanship, but that'll be it."
Daily Mail
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
The single word from television presenter that had Sonny Bill Williams FUMING ahead of Paul Gallen bout: 'You better watch your mouth bro'
Sonny Bill Williams ' calm media persona cracked live on New Zealand TV when a single word lit the fuse. The former dual-code international was appearing on Herald NOW to promote his long-awaited boxing bout with Paul Gallen when host Ryan Bridge asked if he had been 'greedy' in past negotiations. 'You better watch your mouth bro,' Williams snapped in response. 'Or I'll come over there soon and see who's greedy, right brother?' Bridge replied coolly, 'This is my studio, you can't talk to me like that.' Williams shot back, 'Just because you've got nice hair this morning, doesn't mean I won't get off this chair.' I wasn't expecting to see @SonnyBWilliams flirting with Ryan Bridge this morning… — Matua Kahurangi (@MatuaKahurangi) June 13, 2025 Bridge tried to defuse the tension: 'Not just nice hair, but a nice face.' Despite the awkward exchange, the interview continued and ended with a traditional face-off. The fiery clash overshadowed the reason for Williams' visit - a July 16 heavyweight showdown against Gallen at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney. The fight will be the culmination of nearly a decade of public spats, stalled negotiations, and verbal jabs. Both fighters are set to receive $1 million each in a 50/50 split, a reflection of the bout's trans-Tasman appeal. But beneath the promotional hype lies a personal grudge that Williams insists is no act. Speaking to media after the broadcast, Williams confirmed the animosity with Gallen is deeply personal. 'The way he conducts himself and carries himself, and how he speaks about me… I look at it like I'm representing my Polynesian brothers,' he said. Williams took particular offence at past insults from Gallen, including being called 'dumb' and 'a dummy.' 'I've been in the sheds with guys like him who suck up all the oxygen,' Williams said. 'As Polynesians, we're taught to be quiet and respectful, not speak unless spoken to. Because we don't say anything, people assume we're dumb.' 'But we do have opinions, and we do have brains. We just let them talk.' 'I really think he thinks he's better than me. Better than us.' Williams is training at Opetaia Boxing on the Gold Coast and appears motivated to finish his career on a high. 'This is probably the last fight,' he admitted. 'It's been three years since I retired. I've got three kids. I got knocked out in my last fight - it was scary.' 'My two older girls came home from school the next day crying. That's what I don't like about the sport.' 'But the opportunity came. I don't like the bloke and he doesn't like me. The animosity is real.' New Zealand heavyweight Joseph Parker, who joined Williams at the press conference, backed his countryman. 'Sonny's in the right camp, doing the right things,' Parker said. 'Gallen's a brawler, throws big shots, but Sonny's training seriously. He can dominate if he executes.' Williams has also rejected suggestions that the eight two-minute round format was chosen due to fitness concerns. He believes Gallen's comments are another example of disrespect. 'The way that he conducts himself and he carries himself, and how he speaks about me, Williams said. 'I look at it like, for me, I'm representing my Polynesian brothers. For example, calling me a dummy... I see it playing alongside these type of individuals and being in the sheds with these type of individuals, where they suck up all the oxygen. 'As Polynesians, we're taught to be quiet and be respectful, and don't speak unless you're spoken to, and because we don't say anything, all of a sudden, it means that we're dumb. 'Doesn't mean that we don't have opinions, it doesn't mean that we don't have brains, but we just let them speak. 'I think him looking at that, speaking like that, really observing the way that he's conducted himself, I really think that he thinks he's better than us.'
RNZ News
13-06-2025
- Sport
- RNZ News
Sonny Bill Williams set for grudge match against Aussie league player
A grudge match 10 years in the making will finally play out in the boxing ring in Sydney next month. Former All Black Sonny Bill Williams will face Australian rugby league player Paul Gallen. Williams, a one-time heavyweight national champion, was promoting the fight at an Auckland gym and said this bout is personal. Sports reporter Felicity Reid spoke to Lisa Owen. Tags: To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
RNZ News
13-06-2025
- Sport
- RNZ News
Boxing: Sonny Bill Williams, Paul Gallen eye fitting end to decade-long war of words
Sonny Bill Williams and Joseph Parker promote Williams' fight against Paul Gallen. Photo: RNZ/Marika Khabazi In a war of words that has lasted nearly a decade, former All Black Sonny Bill Williams wants to put a fullstop on exchanges with Australian rugby league legend Paul Gallen. Williams is clear about the finale he plans for the long-awaited boxing bout between the two that will take place on 16 July at Sydney's Qudos Bank Arena. "God willing, give him a good hiding and walk off into the sunset. "It's not a Rugby World Cup or NRL title or Super Rugby title, but I don't want to lose him. He can say this, I can say that, but it just comes down to who's worked hard, who's taking shortcuts and who lands the better punches on the night." Williams is not a fan of trash-talk, but he said keeping quiet had not always served him well. Both boxers have won world cups and premierships on the footy field, and they have knocked opponents out in the ring. They are two "proper household names" who do not have much left to prove, but this bout of eight two-minute rounds is personal for Williams. "I think, for myself to get back in the ring after three years to actually do something of this magnitude, there needed to be that animosity just to light that fire up. Otherwise, what's the point of doing it?" "The way that he conducts himself and he carries himself, and how he speaks about me, Williams said. "I look at it like, for me, I'm representing my Polynesian brothers. For example, calling me a dummy... I see it playing alongside these type of individuals and being in the sheds with these type of individuals, where they suck up all the oxygen. "As Polynesians, we're taught to be quiet and be respectful, and don't speak unless you're spoken to, and because we don't say anything, all of a sudden, it means that we're dumb. "Doesn't mean that we don't have opinions, it doesn't mean that we don't have brains, but we just let them speak. I think him looking at that, speaking like that, really observing the way that he's conducted himself, I really think that he thinks he's better than us." Williams has that motivation against a man four years his senior and someone he sees as a polar opposite, when it comes to the publicly promoting a fight. Sonny Bill Williams: "When it comes to trash-talking, that's not my go." Photo: RNZ/Marika Khabazi The former NZ heavyweight boxing champion, with a nine-win, one-loss career record, has been left to promote this bout by himself. Gallen has not fronted alongside Williams on either side of the Tasman. "When it comes to trash-talking, that's not my go. I don't get involved in that kind of game, I never have in any of my fights. "With Paul, it's second-hand nature - this flows off the tongue. "All I did was speak the truth, speak facts and, all of a sudden, I've hurt him," Williams said of the first time he spoke, when Gallen was a no show. "I've upset him with one low blow of attack on this and that, you know - it's just facts." Williams has been training on the Gold Coast with Australian professional boxer Jai Opetaia for four weeks, away from his wife and five children. "I'm a real visual learner," he said. "Although I've had 10 fights, it's been over the space of 15 years, so every time I get back in the ring, it's like doing it again, starting all over again. "This camp, I wanted to be around world class fighters, so I could learn the skillset needed, but also the mental side of things. "You don't have to be a rocket scientist to understand that he wants to fight in close and I want to fight at distance, but at the same time, we'll train accordingly. He won't have to go looking for me in the ring. "I'm prepping to stop him, but I'm prepping for eight rounds as well." Like Williams, Gallen retired from the ring in 2022, after a lucrative second sporting career for the man who played 348 NRL games and won the 2013 Rugby League World Cup with the Kangaroos . Gallen had 18 fights - most against former footy players - but he also stopped a former heavyweight champion and knocked out New Zealand's Junior Fa. Former world heavyweight champion Joseph Parker believed Williams was doing the right things to prepare for a fight billed as the biggest trans-Tasman grudge match of all time. "[Gallen's] a brawler," Parker said. "He throws big shots, but Sonny can learn from the best. "He's training with Jai and his team, learning from the best and picking up what he needs to pick up on, so he can come out there and dominate." Parker's advice for Williams: "Just stay calm. "Start calm and composed, because if you switch on the Samoan side, which we both have, then that's brawling back. "In moments like that, you just have to remain calm, remember what you've been learning, remember what you've been working on and and put it all on display, because this is his time to put it all on display." Williams and Gallen are big personalities that are still drawcards, despite their sporting peaks being in the rearview mirror. Their fight is a boxing promoter's dream and Duco Events' David Higgins said "there's a few magic ingredients at play" for this bout. Gallen v SBW - a boxing promoter's dream. Photo: PHOTOSPORT "First of all, you've got two proper household names, legends... people who've been at the very top of the highest level of sport, and incredibly competitive athletes that almost everyone in New Zealand and Australia knows who these guys are. "Second magic ingredient is you've got history. This fight has been brewing, probably for 10 years, with callouts and negotiations that fall apart, and on again, off again, on again... it just makes things bigger, when it brews so long. "Third, it's a proper 50/50 fight. Most pundits can't pick who they think will win. "There's a really good argument why Sonny Bill will win this fight - he's got height, his reach, he's a good boxer. In another life, he could have been a top boxer with that skillset. "Then you've got Paul Gallen, who never quits rough and tumble, so flip a coin and I think that gets people intrigued as well. "Then there's parochialism - you've got a New Zealand v Australia ingredient, you've got rugby union v rugby league. "There's quite a lot going on with this promotion and, as it reaches its crescendo, I think everyone's going to be talking about it and is going to tune in." For Williams, getting back in the ring has not been an easy road, but one he believes needed to happen. "The one thing I've missed since retiring is just that nervous energy, that nervous buzz, when you go out, and it's either sink or swim. It'll be a nice way to finish off, to close the chapter." Two other Kiwis will face off on the undercard, with David Nyika taking on Nik Charalampous . Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
News.com.au
06-06-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
NRL icon Paul Gallen a laughing stock after awkward blunder
Cameron Smith and Andrew Johns have shared a good laugh at Paul Gallen's expense after a bizarre moment during Newcastle's Golden Point win over Manly on Thursday night. In one of the craziest finishes of the 2025 season, the Knights went scoreless in the first half and then won the game 26-22, with a Kalyn Ponga try in the first half of Golden Point proving the difference. With the scores locked at 22-22 after 80 minutes, Ponga and Manly captain Daly Cherry-Evans faced off for the coin toss. FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every game of every round in the 2025 NRL Telstra Premiership, LIVE with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer. The Queensland State of Origin skipper guessed correctly and chose to receive the kick-off. It was a bit perplexing for Gallen to follow. Speaking in commentary for Channel 9, the Cronulla legend got lost when trying to work out who was going to kick-off after the Sea Eagles veteran had won the toss and elected to run in the same direction of the field as they did in the second half. Watch the awkward moment in the video player above With Gallen unable to work out if Manly was receiving or not, the former NSW State of Origin captain was schooled by Smith. 'Daly has won the toss and they'll run the same way they are running at the moment,' Gallen said on Channel 9. 'Teams will not change direction. Daly Cherry-Evans won the toss … Manly will receive, is that right? We don't know who's receiving. We know Manly won the toss, but we don't know who's receiving at the moment.' Smith stepped in to help Gallen out. 'Good work Gal,' Smith said with a chuckle. 'Daly chose the direction he ran Gal, so the opposition kick-off.' Johns could be heard laughing into his microphone. A sheepish Gallen responded to his long-time State of Origin rival by saying: 'OK. There you go. 'That's why you're the GOAT. That's why you're the GOAT.' When it was pointed out to Gallen that he conducted several golden point coin tosses during his career as Sharks skipper, Gallen came clean saying former Cronulla trainer Mark Noakes used to handle such matters. 'I forget. That's why I had Mark Noakes next to me,' Gallen said. 'He did everything. I just called heads or tails. That was it.' Nine commentator Mat Thompson also stuck the boot in. 'You were only captain of the Sharks for 10 years,' he said. 'You've taken too many head shots.' Meanwhile, Knights coach Adam O'Brien has been involved in drama despite his team's massive comeback win. The Knights went scoreless in the opening half as they trailed Manly 16-0 at the break and walked off McDonald Jones Stadium to a chorus of boos. O'Brien took a shot at the booing fans in his post match press conference, saying: 'The people that booed don't know anything about rugby league.'
