EXCLUSIVE
Footballer turned multimillionaire professional boxer Paul Gallen has been captured in a wild pub brawl in a coastal holiday town – and it looks like a local patron got the better of him.
The Nine Network NRL commentator was filmed being restrained by up to four men at a time inside the Shoalhaven Heads Hotel on the NSW south coast on Friday night.
Gallen had gone to the hotel with his radio colleague Mark Levy, who could be heard in the background shouting: ‘Stop it. Enough, enough. Gal, stop’ as the men battled to hold the 42-year-old NSW Origin legend and shocked drinkers watched on.
Levy and Gallen work on 2GB’s Continuous Call Team during the NRL season and the Cronulla Sharks premiership-winning captain contributes to Nine’s Wide World of Sports.
When Daily Mail Australia asked Gallen about the incident on Tuesday afternoon he initially said: ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about’.
Told there was footage of the brawl taken by witnesses, Gallen added, ‘No worries’, then asked: ‘What are the witnesses saying happened?’
Gallen and Levy arrived together at the pub, also known as The Heads, where the retired footballer played played pool in the beer garden and took to the dance floor.
The fracas involving the married father-of-four, which was recorded on mobile phone cameras, took place about midnight as the pub was preparing to close.
Witnesses claimed the fight began after Gallen lost a pool game and a cue was broken over a table.
Several sources said Gallen was bleeding from the face after being punched in the nose, which some observers believed had been broken.
Footballer turned multimillion-dollar professional boxer Paul Gallen has been captured in a wild pub brawl in a coastal holiday town – and it looks like a local patron got the better of him
The Nine Network NRL commentator was filmed being restrained by up to four men at the Shoalhaven Heads Hotel on the NSW south coast on Friday night
When Daily Mail Australia asked Gallen if he wished to comment on other customers’ versions of events he said: ‘Yeah mate, I won’t make any comment on it.’
‘If there’s footage of it, then we’ll see what happens. I’ve got nothing to say.’
In a second video, a staff member is shown cleaning up the professional pugilist’s nose with a cloth, while a concerned Levy watches on.
When a man somewhere else in the pub says, ‘Thinks he’s mad’, Gallen turns towards around and rushes towards the voice.
The first video, which lasts 1 min and 29 seconds, starts with Gallen being held by three men and apparently throwing punches at one of them.
In the background, a concerned Levy can be heard pleading: ‘Enough. Enough, enough, enough. Stop it. Enough. Enough. Gal, stop.’
As a scuffle rolls through the hotel another voice says: ‘Get the f*** out now’ before Gallen falls to the ground.
‘Stop your mate,’ someone says, amid the sound of breaking glass. Levy appears to say again, ‘Stop, stop, enough. Gal, enough.’
Gallen had gone to the hotel with his radio colleague Mark Levy, who could be heard in the background shouting: ‘Stop it. Enough. Enough. Gal, stop’
The fracas involving the married father-of-four, which was recorded by mobile phone, took place about midnight as the pub was preparing to close
One patron can be heard saying, ‘He’s bleeding everywhere’ as Gallen gets to his feet. Another voice says, ‘Get out of here’.
Two men then push a third singlet-wearing man away from the melee and Levy appears to say, ‘No more, Gal. No more. No more. No more. Stop.’
There is no suggestion Levy, who regularly fills in for Ray Hadley on his 2GB morning show, did anything wrong, and footage confirms he attempted to prevent Gallen causing further trouble.
Levy has been contacted for comment.
Daily Mail Australia understands Gallen and Levy had been staying at Currarong, a 50-minute drive away, and arrived at the pub on the hotel’s courtesy bus.
Police did not attend the pub after the incident and Gallen and Levy are believed to have returned to their accommodation via the same 12-seater transport.
Levy has in the past posted on social media about visiting the pub. Management at The Heads was contacted for comment.
Gallen (left) and Levy (right) work on 2GB’s Continuous Call Team during the NRL season and the Cronulla Sharks premiership-winning captain contributes to Nine’s Wide World of Sports
Daily Mail Australia understands Gallen and Levy had been staying at Currarong, a 50-minute drive from The Heads (above), and arrived on the pub’s courtesy bus
Gallen played 19 seasons of first grade with the Cronulla Sharks and captained the team to the club’s first premiership in 2016.
He appeared 24 times for NSW and skippered the side which won the 2014 State of Origin series which broke Queensland’s eight-year winning streak.
For much of his interstate playing career Gallen was regarded by Maroons fans – who he had once labelled ‘two heads’ – as their number one enemy.
In 2014, Gallen was among Cronulla players who admitted to unknowingly using a banned peptide in exchange for a reduced and backdated ban.
Gallen took up boxing in 2012 and has won 15 of 18 bouts as a heavyweight, including wins over Lucas Browne and Mark Hunt.
Last year he said he had made $25million from the sport.
Gallen retired from the NRL in 2018 as the game’s oldest player and since then has been employed by Nine on programs including the Sunday Footy Show, Sport Sunday and 100% Footy.
Levy was been with 2GB since 2007, after spending more than six years as a producer and reporter with Sky Racing.
***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk