His numbers are crazy and now Rugby League Immortal Johnny Raper has lauded indestructible Cronulla captain Paul Gallen as the most inspirational forward in almost 50 years.

With the Sharks flying on the back of their skipper’s heroic weekly efforts, Raper on Monday ranked Gallen’s remarkable work rate behind only that of St George legend Norman Provan.

That’s one hell of a call considering Raper is also adamant Provan should be the game’s next Immortal.

“My greatest worker was Norm Provan; no one out-worked him and Paul Gallen is second to him,” Raper told AAP.

Proven, a 10-times grand final winner with the Dragons, retired in 1965.

Forty seven years on and esteemed rugby league record keepers David Middleton and Ian Collis agree that Gallen boasts the mind-boggling numbers to stake a claim as the most complete forward since Proven.

This year, Gallen has made a staggering 213 runs – 60 more than any other player in the NRL.

His 1731 metres gained is 385m more than anyone else, while the Sharks back-rower-cum-prop also tops the league for offloads with 30 – nine more than Brisbane centre Justin Hodges.

His three-minute early mark in Cronulla’s 44-22 romp over Canberra on Sunday was his first breather in eight games this season.

“Those numbers speak for themselves,” Proven told AAP.

“You’re not going to get into trouble calling him one of the greats.”

Gallen’s supreme efforts this season come after Rugby League Week – the game’s bible – awarded the NSW State of Origin captain a rare perfect 10 rating for his superhuman 80-minute performance on debut at prop for the Blues last year.

“In days gone by, the game had players like Bunny Reilly (in the 60s and 70s) who tackled their hearts out, but we’ve never had someone who tackles their hearts out and runs the ball up as well, like Gallen,” said stats guru Collis.

“And it’s the ferocity at which he runs it up too. I can’t remember anyone who’s done it like Gallen at the highest level and so consistently.

“I can’t think of anyone that’s ever played like him.”

Even Queenslanders now revere Gallen, with Maroons front-row great Shane Webcke comparing 31-year-old Gallen with retired superstars Andrew Johns and Darren Lockyer.

“Modern day, fair dinkum, I’ve never seen anything like it. Has there been another forward who could work like he does? I don’t know,” Webcke said.

“He’s the best I’ve seen. He’s some sort of freak, to be honest, and there’s no other way to put it.

“God’s just given him a bit more than he gave the rest of us.

“It’s the same when you look at Andrew Johns and Darren Lockyer and the rest of them, they’re just simply blessed with more motor.

“He’s set the bar at such a level that it will be a long time before we see anyone better that – or even equal it.”

Another front-row legend, former Canberra, Brisbane and Melbourne prop Glenn Lazarus – the only player in history to win premierships with three different clubs – said Gallen “would be the first person I’d pick in any football side”.

“He seems to be in peak physical condition each week, so he’s obviously doing something very well,” Lazarus said.

“In a day where wrestling is all the go, to be able to offload as much as he does is certainly a feat in itself.”