Manly Warringah Sea Eagles prop forward Josh Aloiai is coming off of his first year in the maroon and white after a move from the Wests Tigers last preseason.

However, he’s been focussing on something completely different to Rugby League as of late, as Aloiai revealed to Triple M that he is in talks to have a boxing match with former NRL premiership winner Paul Gallen.

“I’ve been in the boxing gym since I was able to walk,” said Aloiai.

“Everyone that’s in the boxing ‘know’ will most likely punt on my side, probably surprisingly. I guess the mainstream people are saying I’m the underdog, but my team and the team that are in the boxing ‘know’… will probably back me.

“There’s a fight deal on the table and we’re just looking over the contract, making sure everything’s all good, going through the process of having lawyers look at it… We’re waiting to see if ‘Gal’ will sign his side.”

Gallen would then go on to respond to Aloiai’s comments when speaking to Nine’s Wide World of Sports.

Although, instead of answering as to whether or not he had accepted the Samoan International’s challenge, Gallen took the opportunity to instead critique and ridicule Aloiai’s ability as a Rugby League player.

“I look at his rugby league ability and I don’t see a whole lot there, to be honest, so I think whatever he’s doing in his spare time he’s probably doing boxing,” Gallen said.

“He’s not working on the weaknesses in his (rugby league) game. I don’t rate him as a player at all and I think he’s lucky there’s no reserve-grade comp. I’m pretty sure he got dropped this year.

“He says himself he comes from a boxing background and I think he must be still doing a fair bit of boxing… because I don’t see him as that good a player, to be honest… I just don’t think he’s that crash-hot a player… I just don’t think he’s that good at all.”

There will certainly be further developments to this story as we await Gallen’s verdict on whether or not he will step in the ring with Aloiai.