CRONULLA coach Ricky Stuart has backed Paul Gallen to be the club's long-term captain provided the fiery back-rower can take control of his on-field temper.

Gallen has come under renewed fire for his aggressive style of play following his antics in the State of Origin decider last Wednesday week, when he gave away three crucial penalties to Queensland.

The performance has threatened Gallen's club captaincy, with Stuart admitting last week there had been pressure from within the club to stand him down as captain.

But the coach has given his player a vote of confidence and said he was doing everything possible to ensure Gallen not only kept the captaincy this year, but well into the future.

"What I'm doing at the moment is doing everything I possibly can with Paul to keep him captain," Stuart said during the week.

"Paul's an intelligent person and a very, very competitive person and I don't want to change that one iota.

"What I do need to change is just the way Paul thinks at certain stages of the game and when something doesn't go his way, he's just got to take it on the chin and roll on.

"He's the image of the team, he's the captain and he's got to lead by example."

Stuart said Sharks players liked Gallen as a leader and the coach felt the criticism was simply part of his learning experience to becoming a long-term skipper.

"I'm not looking to the next era so then bang out he goes and the next one comes in," Stuart said. "I'm looking at working with Paul to make him the captain of the club for a long time and I hope that can happen.

"But Paul knows he's got to work with me. There's a number of different avenues I'm taking with regards to helping Paul and his captaincy but it's a big job."