Wests Tigers threaten to report rival clubs who breach anti-tampering rules with Lachlan Galvin
Wests Tigers chief executive Shane Richardson has put rival clubs on notice over Lachlan Galvin in a bid to avoid another blackhole they created seven years ago when they allowed three star juniors to depart.
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Wests Tigers chief executive Shane Richardson has put rival clubs on notice over Lachlan Galvin, warning them that he won’t hesitate to report them to the NRL if they are found to have breached anti-tampering rules by approaching their brightest young star.
Richardson, who plans to meet Galvin’s parents later this week in a bid to assuage any concerns they have over the club’s direction, has also reiterated plans to hold the 18-year-old to his contract, pointing out the Tigers are still clawing their way out of the hole they created seven years ago when they allowed the likes of James Tedesco, Mitchell Moses and Aaron Woods to depart.
That was a seminal moment in the club’s history. The Tigers lost three of their best juniors and have languished near the bottom of the table ever since.
This year has been no different, the club winning only twice and finding themselves in the midst of a nine-game losing streak. At the same time, they are fighting battles on several fronts.
A growing injury toll and contract struggles with their brightest young stars – Galvin and Stefano Utoikamanu — have compounded the mounting losses.
Utoikamanu may be off contact as early as November 1 and, while the Tigers have tabled a lucrative five-year deal believed to be worth at least $4 million, he is expected to hit the open market.
Meanwhile, Galvin’s manager, Isaac Moses asked for a release in the pre-season and spoke to Richardson again late last week where he repeated concerns for his client and the club’s direction.
“I understand Lachlan’s frustration after coming from a winning mentality all through the juniors,” Richardson said.
“It is no different to John Sutton, who won 11 straight premierships in his juniors and then won two straight wooden spoons in his seniors before leading Souths to a premiership.
“However I made a statement that this club will be built around juniors and I have no intention to let Lachlan Galvin go.
“We did that seven years ago with some of our most promising juniors and we have been near the bottom of the table since.”
Pressed on whether he was concerned rival clubs were batting their eyelids at Galvin, Richardson said: “Any club that is found to be speaking to his management or him about his contract when he is under contract for the next two years, will be reported to the NRL for anti-tampering.
“I have no doubt where we are going. Did I want to lose this many games? No way in the world. At the end of the day I have no doubt that we are on the way to becoming a successful club.”
Galvin has been a mainstay in an injury-ravaged Tigers side this season but he is expected to be given a rest in coming weeks to allow him to recover from a hand injury he has carried through recent games.
There has been talk that there were concerns in the Galvin camp over the teenager playing with a broken bone in his hand.
“It is not unusual to needle a hand injury,” Richardson said.
“I have complete faith in our high-performance staff. They wouldn’t do anything to jeopardise a player’s health.”
Richardson has offered to upgrade and extend Galvin’s contract if he commits his future to the club – it seems unlikely at this stage – and has thrown his support behind coach Benji Marshall as his rookie season threatens to spiral out of control.
“Benji is doing a great job and I am happy with the way he is going and progressing as a coach,” Richardson said.
“It is not a bigger job than I thought it would be. I inherited the roster, I saw what we had and I understood we had to make some tough decisions.
“It’s an old saying but you have to have a plan and stick to it. Take the ups and downs and we will become a better club for it.
“You won’t become a better club if you let outside influences dictate your direction.”
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Originally published as Wests Tigers threaten to report rival clubs who breach anti-tampering rules with Lachlan Galvin
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