Sharks Immortal Andrew Ettingshausen and club legend Paul Gallen have been inducted into the NSWRL The Star Hall of Fame in front of almost 450 guests at The Star Event Centre in Pyrmont.
The honour for the pair comes just a few months after Gallen and Ettingshausen were amongst 11 inaugural inductees into the Sharks Hall of Fame. They join Sharks Immortal Steve Rogers who had been previously inducted into the NSWRL Hall of Fame.
The glittering event was attended by Westpac NSW Blues coach Laurie Daley, the 2025 NSW Blues men's and women's squads, NSWRL Chief Executive David Trodden, NSWRL Chair Carolyn Campbell, the NSWRL Board, and a host of True Blues.
Balmain Tigers and NSW Blues hooker Ben Elias was also inducted into the NSWRL Hall of Fame on the night.
"The True Blues dinner is an important event for the NSWRL as it provides us with an opportunity to celebrate and acknowledge the valuable contribution that players have made for NSW in interstate matches and the State of Origin arena," NSWRL Chief Executive David Trodden said.
"It is always heartening to see players of different generations having a chance to catch up with each other and share memories and swap stories about their time in the sky blue jumper.
"We welcomed three new additions to The NSWRL The Star Hall of Fame, Ben Elias, Andrew Ettingshausen and Paul Gallen, who all served their state with distinction and thoroughly deserve to take their place alongside the other champions of our state."
A fixture in representative line-ups for NSW and Australia, making 27 Origin appearances for the Blues and featuring in five series victories, ET was one of the game's most prolific try-scoring centres, crossing the line 166 times across 18 seasons for the Sharks.
As for the Sharks' long-time skipper Gallen, he was a player who won respect for his fearless style as an enforcer of the Blues pack in a State of Origin career that spanned 24 games across 11 seasons. He collected the Brad Fittler Medal for the Blues' Player of the Series in 2011 and won the Wally Lewis Medal as Player of the Series in 2014 after helping end Queensland's eight-year winning streak.
The NSWRL Hall of Fame includes the 11 Immortals and 23 other players who have represented their state with distinction.
The qualification for the NSWRL The Star Hall of Fame is:
a) The player must have played 10 games or more for NSW; or, alternatively, the player must have captained NSW; and
b) The player must have also played for Australia: and
c) The player must also have been retired for at least five seasons.
2025 TRUE BLUES INDUCTEES
Andrew Ettingshausen
Year inducted: 2025
True Blue number: 799
Origin number: 75
Born: 29 October, 1965, Coogee, Sydney
Club: Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
Position: Centre
Premiership Career: (1983-00) 328 games, 165 tries, 1 goal
First Grade debut: Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks v Newtown Jets at Orana Park, Campbelltown, on 27 March, 1983
Representative honours: Australia 25 Tests (1988, 1990-94); NSW 27 State of Origins (1987-94, 96, 98)
Paul Gallen
Year inducted: 2025
True Blue number: 923
Origin number: 199
Born: 14 August, 1981, Sydney
Club: Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
Position: Lock
Premiership Career: (2001-19) 348 games, 63 tries, 2 goals
First Grade debut: Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks v Parramatta Eels at Toyota Park, Sydney, on 3 June, 2001
Representative honours: Australia 32 Tests (2008-14, 16) NSW 24 State of Origin appearances (2006-16)
Other honours: Brad Fittler Medal 2011, Wally Lewis Medal 2014
Ben Elias
Year inducted: 2025
True Blue number: 791
Origin number: 67
Born: 15 September, 1963, Tripoli, Lebanon
Club: Balmain Tigers
Position: Hooker
Premiership Career: (1982-94) 235 games, 36 tries, 4 goals, 33 field goals
First Grade debut: Balmain Tigers v Illawarra Steelers at Wollongong Showground, Wollongong on 23 May, 1982
Representative honours: Australia 6 Tests (1985, 88, 90); NSW 19 State of Origins (1984-86, 88, 1990-91)
Other honours: NRL Hall of Fame 2024
Player bios courtesy of David Middleton
