Gallen shunts Brown over Sharks 'low blow'

Paul Gallen has defused his 'feud' with Mitchell Pearce for choosing Newcastle over Cronulla, but he has hit back at Knights coach Nathan Brown.

Pearce last week inked a four-year deal with the three-time wooden spooners on a deal worth a reported $4 million.

Gallen's criticism of Pearce's decision was based around Newcastle having little chance at success before the halfback's retirement.

"As for winning competitions, well, I just can't see that happening for a long, long time," he wrote.

Brown quickly took aim at the Sharks skipper.

The former Dragons coach said that just as Cronulla's 2015 title was won on the back of some big-name signings, Gallen's hopes of another premiership before retiring hinged on Pearce.

“He’s probably forgotten that it was four or five years ago that Cronulla were last and had drugs charges against them and were going nowhere," Brown told NBN News.

“Through Paul Gallen, with the help of Darren Mooney and Shane Flanagan, they signed Luke Lewis and Michael Ennis and they won a comp.

“If Gal looks back at that and sees the players we’ve signed, he’s probably a little disappointed because his window of winning another comp is closing and Mitchell Pearce helps him win another one quicker than what anyone else does.”

The Knights and Sharks won't meet for the first time in the 2018 season until round 12.

So for now the war of words rages on, with Gallen condemning Brown's ASADA-related "low blow".

"Maybe Nathan conveniently forgot the Knights had a player suspended for drug use earlier this year," Gallen wrote, referencing former player Jarrod Mullen.

"As for Brown’s claims we were a club going nowhere not so long ago, let me remind him we've only missed the finals once in the past six years and won a premiership in that time.

"Talking of clubs going nowhere, maybe three straight wooden spoons indicate that Newcastle are the ones treading water.

"Luckily for Brown, the only way is up from the bottom rung."

Bring on May 27.