He's expecting a hostile reception in his latest sporting venture into Queensland, but NSW rugby league captain Paul Gallen has so far been on the receiving end of a charm offensive in Toowoomba.
Gallen (4-0, 2 KOs) on Friday is having a rematch of his February 2014 professional boxing debut against Toowoomba-based, Samoa-born Herman Ene-Purcell (7-4, 4 KOs).
Ene-Purcell dropped Gallen in the first round of that heavyweight fight in Sydney, but was stopped in the second by the combative Cronulla NRL forward.
As captain of the NSW Blues, Gallen is probably close to the top of the list of the interstate sportsmen most reviled by Queenslanders.
Gallen is taking all that in his stride and believes it will be local lad Ene-Purcell who will feel the pressure on Friday in front of his home crowd.
"It will be a hostile environment, there's no doubt about that, but it's something that I'm accustomed to," Gallen said.
"I've spent the last 10 years on this stage and doing things like this in front of a lot of people and I enjoy it - I like it.
"As Herman said, I'm in his backyard in front of all his people and I suppose that adds a bit of pressure to what he's doing and it puts a bit of pressure on him."
Ene-Purcell has dropped just two of his past eight fights since losing to Gallen.
He has a 4-2 record at the Rumours club in Toowoomba, where Friday's fight will be held and expects he will be assisted rather than pressured by fighting in front of his local fans.
"It's my backyard he's coming to, so it will help," Ene-Purcell said.
It will be Gallen's first professional boxing bout in Queensland.
"To see what this can mean to a town because I'm here, it feels a bit special, even though it's the arch enemy, the Queenslanders," Gallen said.
Ene-Purcell's trainer Brendon Smith predicted Gallen would be impressed by the hospitality of the locals and they certainly made a positive early impression on his camp.
"They've been really nice; everyone we've met so far has been really good," Gallen's trainer Graham Shaw said.
"We went to the shops to get a couple of bits and it was 'Paul Gallen, can I get a photo? ... I hope you win'."
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