"He's Fallen On His Sword": Cronulla Captain Paul Gallen On Shane Flanagan's Decision To Step Down

Cronulla captain Paul Gallen has said that he agrees with Shane Flanagan's decision to step down, telling Triple M that he thinks it's the right decision "for both parties".

Gallen joined Monday night's The Rush Hour with MG just hours after news broke that Flanagan, who led the Sharks to their 2016 Premiership win, was resigning as head coach.

The now-ex-coach had been de-registered by the NRL in December for dealing with the club while he was suspended in 2014, and has until the end of the month to respond to the punishment.

But Gallen said that he had "fallen on his sword", and commended Flanagan for the move.

Listen below:

"The whole thing was a bit of a shock that came about before Christmas, and it sort of happened really quickly," Gallen told The Rush Hour with MG. 

"Everyone at the club was in shock. 

"[But] at the end of the day, when you get on that field, it doesn't matter what's going on off the field. You've got to get out there and do your job."

The 37-year-old, who is set to return to the ring to fight with former Manly star John Hopoate in February this year, also spoke about the upcoming bout as well as his thoughts on John Morris becoming the Sharks' full-time coach.

Hear the full chat below:

Don't miss a minute of The Rush Hour with MG; listen live from 6pm weeknights on 104.9 Triple M or download the Triple M app to Catch-Up now.