Legend’s frank advice for ‘frustrating’ Roosters star

Cronulla Sharks legend Paul Gallen has opened up on the life-changing advice he received during his career as the former NSW captain urges Victor Radley to change his attitude.

Radley was lucky to have not been sin binned against the Dragons when he head butted Blake Lawrie, but was subsequently given a three-match ban for the grade one striking charge.

The incident was his third and subsequent offence.

READ MORE: Souths take veiled swipe at NSW over brutal snub

READ MORE: Slater lifts lid on ‘tough phone calls’ to axed stars

READ MORE: Fury’s Aussie promise after hijacking press conference

Gallen, who struggled with discipline early in his career, said some timely advice from one of the game’s legends put him in good stead.

“He’s (Radley) such a quality player, it’s so frustrating … I had issues early in my career for probably six, seven, eight or nine years and it took a conversation with Ron Massey for me to pull my head in,” he said on Nine’s 100% Footy.

“He hammered me, he tore shreds off me for an hour … I’d never met him, I was so excited to meet him, my dad knew exactly who he was and what he’d done, he hammered me for an hour.

100% Footy is now available as a podcast! Subscribe/follow via Apple, Spotify or Google Podcasts

“It wasn’t until after that time I did pull my head in, at the back end of my career I was pretty good and went on to do some good things.

“Victor’s probably in that position at the moment, he’s such a good player.”

‘I can’t believe he wasn’t sent off’

Gallen added he was shocked the Roosters star stayed on the field after the incident, before stating Radley’s form coincides with the Roosters current slide down the ladder. 

Stream the NRL premiership 2023 live and free on 9Now

“Yeah I am really surprised he wasn’t sent off, it was a headbutt, a blatant head butt and he’s just so ill disciplined, but the thing is that’s the Roosters at the moment,” he said.

“He should’ve been sent for 10 … you just want to shake him and say you’re so good, you’re hurting yourself, he should be playing for NSW in my opinion, he’s good enough to be there but he’s just got to fix his ill-discipline but in saying that so do the whole Roosters side.”

For a daily dose of the best of the breaking news and exclusive content from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here!

State of Origin 2023: Every player named by NSW Blues