Paul Gallen (born 14 August 1981) is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who captains the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in the National Rugby League. He is a former captain and representative of the New South Wales State of Origin team. He has also been the vice captain of the Australian national team and has played his whole NRL career to date with the Sharks, with whom he won the 2016 NRL Premiership. He is NRL's oldest player playing in 2018. He is also a heavyweight boxer.
Gallen was born in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
He played his junior rugby league for the Wentworthville Magpies and was in the Parramatta Eels junior system playing the S. G. Ball Cup before being overlooked by the Eels. Gallen later signed with the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks. Speaking about being let go by Parramatta, Gallen said "I was never really given a go, I wasn't really getting a look-in there and decided to go elsewhere. I wanted to move away from the area and I knew one of the Cronulla trainers at the time, I played SG Ball for them, that's it. I'm from the district but I wouldn't call myself an ex-Parramatta player, that's for sure".