Aug 27th, 2019

Aug 27th, 2019

Retirement-bound Cronulla captain Paul Gallen has revealed he was offered double his pay to leave his beloved Sharks for Newcastle last season.

Preparing for his final home NRL match on Sunday after 19 seasons as a one-club player, 38-year-old Gallen said he was "very, very close" to leaving for Manly twice, in 2007 and 2010.

He had also knocked back a huge offer to join Nathan Brown's Knights.

"Probably the biggest contract of my career was offered to me to go play for Newcastle in 2018," Gallen said.

"I would have earnt more money in that season than I did my past two."

He said playing his entire career for the one club was the thing he was most proud of in his career. However, the Sea Eagles nearly got him twice.

Former NSW captain Paul Gallen. (AAP)

"I was very close to going to Manly twice in 2007 and 2010," Gallen said.

"Parramatta early on, I probably wasn't that close, but we did have a meeting with Brian Smith.

"There were a lot of factors why I didn't go, because I had done the rebuild here three or four times. There is a lot of pressure on senior players when you are trying to rebuild a club.

"My family are here. My kids are at school. I'm entrenched in the Shire now. I love the place and the people here are great to me.

"I couldn't see myself playing for anyone else."

Paul Gallen celebrates Cronulla's win over South Sydney in Round 20. (Getty)

The Sharks are running seventh in the NRL with two games remaining, meaning a finals spot is theirs to lose. Gallen, captain of the club's maiden premiership in 2016, said he was leaving Cronulla in a "steady" state.

"I like the leadership we have at the club above me, particularly at the board level," he said.

"The development that is going on is going to hold the club in good stead over the next 50 years.

"Fans need to understand that we don't want to be around for another two or three years. We want to be around for another 50 years.

"This development and the times we are going to go through over the next two years will ensure that."

©AAP2019