"I will say this to Cam, be very careful what you wish for," Gallen said. "We went in and self-reported a $50,000 discrepancy, which the CEO [Barry Russell] thought was all it was. It turned out it was a $700,000 discrepancy. "You maybe don't want the NRL going back and searching those books, particularly when they [Melbourne] were found to be $3.7 million over the salary cap over five years. "Three of those years they were a million over the cap. "Compared to the Sharks, we were 750k over in intended third-party payments, the NRL found they were intended to be paid. Not all were paid."

Gallen continued, going so far as to say he would quit rugby league altogether if Cronulla were to be stripped of their 2016 premiership. "If we got it taken off us I would throw my ring away and I would quit the club immediately," he said. "This is what frustrates me about situations like this and situations before that we have had at the club. "It’s not my job as a player to go and ask how much you earn, or whether you get a third party, or where you get it from him - that’s not my job. "It’s the administration’s job to do it.

"We have been let down by the administration once again but who cops it? The players. "Who is sitting here answering questions here? Me, the captain of the club." Gallen's comments caught the eye of Storm CEO Dave Donaghy, who highlighted the important fact that Smith did not actually suggest the Sharks should be stripped of their premiership. "I think Paul should worry about Cronulla,” Donaghy said while at the Storm’s family day on Sunday. "I missed the show and the comments but it’s important to put Cam’s comments into context.

"He wasn’t coming out saying Cronulla’s premiership should be stripped. What it’s saying is drawing a comparison between recent clubs who have had salary cap strife have been treated as opposed to how Melbourne were treated back in the day. Loading "There is a different view around salary cap sanctions [now] and we think that’s the right view. "What happened back in the day was vastly different to how some clubs have been treated." The rivalry remains fierce between the two clubs, who have accused one another of dirty tactics and exchanged several verbal barbs in many fiery clashes since 2015.