Paul Gallen will fly to Townsville and wear Phil Gould’s underpants if Cowboys win NRL grand final

Former NRL enforcer turned boxer Paul Gallen is willing to wear nothing except Phil ‘Gus’ Gould’s underpants for eight hours in Townsville if the Cowboys win this year’s NRL grand final.

Gallen, 41, has publicly written off the premiership hopes of North Queensland all season – and his stance clearly hasn’t changed this week.

Speaking on Channel Nine’s 100% Footy, Gallen declared the Cowboys will lose to the Rabbitohs this Saturday before another daunting assignment when they host minor premiers Penrith at home on September 3.

The premiership-winning captain with the Sharks in 2016 also believes the Cowboys won’t finish in the top four – they currently sit in second spot – and will then need to win every match in sudden death to hoist the premiership trophy come October 2.

Gallen is prepared to put his money where his mouth is, and walk around Far North Queensland in Gould’s jocks if the Cowboys leave him red-faced.

Former NRL enforcer turned prize-fight boxer Paul Gallen (pictured left) is willing to wear nothing but Phil ‘Gus’ Gould’s underpants for eight hours across Townsville if the Cowboys win this year’s NRL grand final on October 2

‘If the Cowboys win the comp, I will pay for my own flights and then wear your [Gould’s] undies for eight hours,’ Gallen boldly declared on national television, much to the delight of the panel.

‘I won’t eat them, but I do back my bets up and pay them.’

In March, Gallen labelled the Cowboys’ encouraging start to the season ‘fool’s gold’.

‘I can’t see them doing anything. I’m happy they started well because my mate Chad Townsend is up there playing well, I think he’s doing good things at the moment, but I can’t see them anywhere near the top eight,’ he said.

‘They’ve had a brilliant start to the year. They’ve played the Bulldogs, Canberra and the Broncos in the first three rounds of the competition and won two…they’re not going to be top eight.’

In March, Gallen labelled the Cowboys’ encouraging start to the NRL season ‘fool’s gold’

Fellow 100% Footy panel members Phil Gould and James Bracey found Gallen’s bizarre pre-finals bet on the high-flying Cowboys amusing

North Queensland last played finals football in 2017, when they finished runners-up to Melbourne after finishing the regular season in eighth spot.

‘They’re better than last year, but they’ve got to make the top eight. Unless you make the top eight, you haven’t had a good season,’ Gallen added.

‘I think the way they’re going at the moment, there are probably a few people impressed with them and liking what they’re doing, but I don’t think they get anywhere near the top eight.’

Despite Gallen repeatedly ‘death-riding’ the Cowboys, Todd Payten is in line to be crowned the NRL coach of the year at the Dally M awards.

Tom Dearden has produced the sort of footy that saw the Broncos sign him as a teenage prodigy, while backrower Jeremiah Nanai is the game’s next superstar in the eyes of good judges.