‘The deal is all but done’: Lachlan Galvin’s future reportedly sealed

As rumours continue to swirl surrounding the future of Lachlan Galvin, a reporter has emerged that one club has locked him in.

Veteran NRL journalist Paul Kent has dropped a bombshell, stating he believes Lachlan Galvin has already agreed to terms with the Parramatta Eels.

Galvin stunned the Wests Tigers when he turned his back on a lucrative contract extension to instead test his value on the open market.

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The saga surrounding the 19-year-old prodigy has exploded this week with the club axing him from their upcoming Easter Monday clash in the wake of a player mutiny.

As rumours continue to swirl surrounding the saga, speculation over where he’ll end up has hit fever pitch with Kent saying the race has already been run.

“I’ll declare it now, he won’t be at the Wests Tigers next season,” Kent said on the Kenty podcast.

“This season ... I think there’s a chance he could move on.

“Lachie Galvin is not allowed to talk to another club until November 1. I am strongly led to believe that he has already agreed to terms with Parramatta.

“It’s ready to go. Not allowed to do it so that will be denied, but it looks like for all intents he’s going to Parramatta. The deal is all but done.

“It can’t be done legally until after November 1.”

The Eels have reportedly signed Galvin. (Photo by Jeremy Ng/Getty Images)

Paul Kent says the deal is done. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Nikki Short

Kent wasn’t alone in believing a plan may already be in place for the youngster with Bulldogs chief Phil Gould saying his future has “already been mapped out”.

Gould has previously spoken highly of Galvin’s talents and the Bulldogs have been one of the favourites to sign him, but he says he now sees red flags around Galvin given the way his complaints about the coaching of Benji Marshall have leaked out.

Gould declared it was a clear sign of the player putting his own interests in front of the club, and made it clear that position was at odds with what he’s trying to build at the Bulldogs.

Additionally, Gould stated Galvin’s strong stance suggested his future in the NRL was already locked in with another club.

“I think it will raise red flags,” Gould said on his Six Tackles with Gus podcast about Galvin’s actions.

“Absolutely in peoples’ minds. I think there is an underlying (belief), and whether or not it’s fair to say this, that his future may already have been mapped out for him.

“I’m not saying that he has signed a contract or even spoken to any other club at this stage, but you don’t do these sort of things unless you’ve got another plan in place.

“And I’m not saying Lachlan has got that but certainly his management has got that.”

The way it has played out has raised red flags. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)

Gould raised his concerns for the welfare of the teenager after he found himself on the receiving end of several direct shots on social media from Tigers teammates.

Tigers captain Jarome Luai took the first shot with a post that read “TeamFirst” before Sunia Turuva went even further with his upload.

The post featured a shot of Galvin’s locker with the music underneath being former WWE wrestler Shane McMahon’s theme song, which is called ‘Here Comes The Money’.

Gould said the club has a responsibility to look after the 19-year-old despite his decision to walk away.

“As a club, the first thing I’ll be worried about was his welfare,” he said.

“The first thing I would worry about is how he’s feeling about all this. Now, even though we’re at loggerheads, and even though he said he doesn’t believe in the direction of the club, he doesn’t want to play for the club, you’ve still got a responsibility to him and his welfare.

“And don’t underestimate how big this could be for a 19 year old boy to suddenly have his teammates turned on him in this manner. He might have anticipated that maybe they were going to drop me, but to have the teammates be behind that decision, that’s big.

Gould raised concern for Galvin’s welfare. (Photo by Jason McCawley/Getty Images)

The NRL supremo has talked highly of the young prodigy. Picture: NRL Imagery / Scott Davis

“So my first concern would be for his welfare right at the moment, in how he’s now dealing with the fallout of this.

“I doubt in his wildest imagination he would have anticipated this. Even his management and his parents, who obviously endorse and this plan of action, I don’t think they would have expected this sort of fallout straight away.

“If it was a strategy being used to get him out of his contract in the short term so he can go somewhere next year, well then to that extent it’s probably backfired to where it is at the moment now.

“The end result might be that he gets a release from the Tigers and he can go and play somewhere else next year for big money. That will have come at a cost.

“That will have come at a significant cost to Lachlan, which is something he’s going to have to work through and, and hopefully play his way out of going into the future.”

Gould added the situation between the two parties had become untenable and couldn’t see it playing out until the end of the 2026 season.

“It can’t go on,” he said.

“It’s not going to last. He’s prepared to play out his contract for the next 18 months. We all know that that’s going to be untenable. He’s now at loggerheads with the playing group.

“I don’t know for a young player how that’s tenable at all.”

Originally published as ‘The deal is all but done’: Lachlan Galvin’s future reportedly sealed