This is the fourth of Cronulla Sharks captain Paul Gallen's exclusive columns for Sporting News for the duration of the RLWC. You can read how he tried to sell playing for the Sharks to Angus Crichton here.

I’ve got to be honest with you – rugby union bores me.

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That may sound brutal and displease a few people, but it’s just not a game I can get into.

It’s not a code I’ve played and I usually reach for the remote if it comes on the TV.

I admire some of union’s skills when it comes to attack, but the defence isn’t as intense compared to league.

And it’s that intensity in defence that would ensure rugby league came out on top if the Kangaroos ever get to play the All Blacks, as has been mooted again this week

I’ve been hearing about this idea of a hybrid game for the last 10-15 years and it’s pretty much gone nowhere.

I’m not sure it will ever happen but there’s no doubt it would generate a lot of interest if they ever get it off the ground.

So hypothetically, if the game was played, why do I think the Kangaroos would win?

To me it’s pretty simple – when they’re playing under union rules, the All Blacks would be on top.

We don’t understand ruck and mauls and they would trample us in that area.

But when playing under league rules, the Kangaroos would dominate.

If union players had to run back 10m to get onside every tackle, they would run out of gas in five minutes.

And the way we hit in league – constantly and with force – would have the union boys looking for air.

So that’s why I’d back a league team to win the overall contest.

I think we’d cross for a try or two under union rules.

And when it came to rugby league, the Kangaroos would totally dominate and ensure the All Blacks rarely threatened the try-line.

WHAT I SAID WHEN I TEXTED PEARCEY

Yes, I did send a text to Mitchell Pearce a couple of weeks ago.

No, it had nothing to do with trying to lure him to the Sharks.

Mitch is a friend of mine through our days together in the NSW Origin side and I just basically sent him a message wishing him all the best after the Roosters signed Cooper Cronk.

As I said in my first column for Sporting News Australia, I don’t blame Mitchell for being angry at the Roosters for signing Cronk.

He’s given his all to that club and would have his nose a little out of joint at playing second fiddle to Cronk.

But I won’t be waiting at Sydney Airport with a contract in hand when he arrives back from his US holiday.

Mitch is a bloke who needs his space. He doesn’t need me bending his ear and telling him what he should do.

But if he decides he wants out of the Roosters, the Sharks will pick up the phone and express their interest.

The No.7 has copped plenty of stick over his career, particularly over his performances at Origin level.

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I think a lot of it has been unjustified.

Mitchell has been up against the best game managers we’ve probably ever seen – Cronk, Thurston, Smith and Lockyer.

Sure, he could have done better in a few of those games - he’d be the first to admit it – but any Origin loss doesn’t just come down to one player.

Mitchell Pearce is a quality player and quality bloke and we’d love him at Cronulla – but only if he’s after a fresh start.

I'M STICKING STRONG WITH MY RLWC PREDICTION

They might make me eat my words but I’m sticking to my pre-World Cup prediction and declaring Tonga won’t make it the final.

My old mate Andrew Fifita won’t be happy with me for saying that, but I think the men in red will bow out at the hands of England at the semi-final stage.

I love what Tonga’s brought to the tournament – the colour, the passion , the ad-lib footy – and I cheered them home against New Zealand.

They will beat Lebanon in the quarter-finals but I think the Poms will be too structured and have just a little bit too much class for them when we get down to the last four.

It’s an England-Australia final for mine.