Less than four months after lifting the State of Origin shield, Paul Gallen could be stripped of the NSW captaincy as part of the NRL’s heavy-handed punishment for a foul-mouthed Twitter tirade he directed at the game’s officials.

The Cronulla and Blues skipper has been handed a $50,000 fine and a provisional Kangaroos suspension for 2015, but in addition, NRL chief executive Dave Smith will discuss Gallen’s Origin captaincy future with NSW Rugby League officials.

Gallen has seven days to respond to the breach notice and explain any mitigating factors that might have contributed to his Twitter brain-snap while holidaying in Hawaii.

News Corp reported on Monday that Gallen was suffering depression, however the 33-year-old refused to comment on the matter when questioned at a boxing promotion in Sydney.

The NRL imposed the heaviest possible code of conduct fine on Gallen and he will also be ineligible for Australian selection in 2015 unless he successfully completes a leadership course.

His eligibility would then be reviewed by an ARL commission panel.

Gallen, who is currently serving a 12-week ASADA-imposed anti-doping suspension along with Sharks teammates from the 2011 season, is in hot water for the comment he posted in response to Cronulla chief executive Steve Noyce being sacked last week.

“Steve Noice (sic) actually cared about players from cronulla’s feelings,” Gallen wrote in reference to the ASADA affair.

“Couldn’t say that about any other c– from Nrl.”

Gallen, who has apologised for his outburst, said he’d tried unsuccessfully to offer a personal explanation to Smith.

“I tried to ring Dave Smith and the club within minutes of getting off the plane,” he said.

“I haven’t got hold of him yet. I don’t know what’s going on.”

However, Smith’s feelings on the matter were made perfectly clear to Gallen on Monday when the stiff penalties were announced.

The fine is substantial, the possible Kangaroos suspension concerning, but what would hurt Gallen most is the threat of losing his leadership role with the Blues.

After helping NSW break Queensland’s eight-year dynasty and winning man-of-the-series in the process, Gallen’s Origin career could be about to come crashing down.

“Origin is one of our flagship properties and we do not want it to be undermined in any way,” Smith said in a statement.

According to the NRL, Gallen’s punishment was determined with the full support of the Cronulla club, with Sharks chairman Damian Keogh expressing his disappointment in Gallen’s actions.

“The last two years have been a difficult period for the Sharks and our focus is on performing strongly on and off the field in 2015,” Keogh said.

“So it is disappointing to have the club involved in this sort of issue as we prepare for next season.”

Meanwhile, Gallen was tight-lipped on Monday amid reports he’s suffering depression.

“It’s an issue that’s hard for me to talk about at the moment,” he said.

“It’s something that I support, the people that come out and talk about it and encourage them to talk about it.

“It’s a very serious issue but I won’t be discussing it with anyone I don’t know or trust.”

Gallen evaded rugby league questions on Monday and preferred to focus on his second professional boxing bout against his former Sharks teammate Anthony Watts at Sydney’s Hordern Pavilion on December 3.