Arguably the two greatest Sharks of all time will jointly hold the record for games played for the Cronulla club when Paul Gallen runs out for his 328th NRL game on Saturday night and equals the mark set by Andrew Ettingshausen.
Beginning his 18th season in the NRL, Gallen debuted for the Sharks in 2001, the year after Ettingshausen brought down the curtain on his illustrious career, with the pair forever immortalised in Club history with the iconic post Grand Final photo of 2016.
In lifting the NRL trophy, Gallen praised and recognised those who had gone before, singling out Ettingshausen for special mention and citing his on-field exploits as a major reason he chose the Sharks almost two decades ago.
In addition to his 328 NRL games, Gallen has racked up an impressive list of achievements since that round 15 debut some 18 years ago.
A total of 32 Tests for Australia, 24 Origins for NSW, leading the Blues to victory in 2014, Gallen was a three-time winner of the Dally M Lock of the Year, claimed two Harry Sunderland Medals and has five times been crowned the Monty Porter Medal winner as Sharks Player of the Year.
In comparison, the career of the man he will match on Saturday in the game agains the Titans, reads as a similarly impressive list of achievements.
Playing his first top grade game as a 17-year-old and while still a student at De La Salle College at Caringbah, Ettingshausen would go on to become one of the most celebrated players of his era.
Also representing at the highest level, ET wore the green and gold of Australia on 29 occasions, the blue of NSW 30 times.On the week of the record-equalling game, the pair caught up fittingly in Cronulla and in front of the mural painted in their honour.
Sharks Media was on hand to capture the thoughts of the two highest achieving players in the history of the Cronulla club.
Lead photo courtesy Brett Costello, Daily Telegraph
