Saint, Sinner, Shoosh: Lachlan Galvin release request rejected, Stefano Utoikamanu yet to re-sign with Wests Tigers, trouble in NRL referee ranks
Boom rookie Lachlan Galvin is one of two disgruntled Tigers who want out, but the club has said no to his release request. CEO Shane Richardson addresses the decision in PHIL ROTHFIELD’S Saint, Sinner, Shoosh.
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The Wests Tigers are in crisis with revelations their two best young players – Lachlan Galvin and Stefano Utoikamanu – both want out after Friday night’s embarrassing capitulation to St George-Illawarra.
The pair are unhappy and disgruntled after nine straight losses and the likelihood of three straight wooden spoons.
Galvin was overheard in the Wests Tigers dressing room after the 56-14 loss to the Dragons saying that he wanted to quit, despite being under contract until the end of 2026.
Wests Tigers chief executive Shane Richardson confirmed on Saturday night that Galvin’s manager Isaac Moses had approached the club on Thursday seeking a release.
“We have no intention of releasing him,” Richardson said, “It’s as simple as that.
“It’s disappointing that the request has been made but I’m going to have a meeting with his mum and dad next week.
“I think there’s a lot of reasons behind it.
“He’s a young kid, we’re not winning games, and he’s finding it difficult.
“All I can say we have Jarome Luai coming next year and we’ll have him, Api (Koroisau) and Jahream Bula in the spine.
“We have a contract in place with Lachlan and we intend to hold him to it.”
Meanwhile the club’s hopes of retaining boom Utoikamanu are diminishing by the day – and money is not the issue.
It’s more about his future development as a player in the right system under the right coach.
While CEO Richardson was recently spending three weeks in the UK, up to eight rival NRL clubs were expressing interest in the former Parramatta Eels junior.
Utoikamanu becomes a free agent under a clause in his contract that makes him a free agent if he is not chosen in the NSW Blues team for the final two games.
The eight clubs have contacted Utoikamanu’s manager Daniel O’Loughlin with expressions of interest should he decide to activate the clause.
The Wests Tigers have offered him $4 million over five years to stay at Concord.
However Utoikamanu is looking for more than the cash.
He’s sat back and watched ex-teammates – the likes of Shawn Blore, Luke Garner, Luke Brooks, Tommy Talau and Billy Walters – improve and develop their games at other clubs.
Utoikamanu would have the choice of playing under a Wayne Bennett, Cameron Ciraldo, Shane Flanagan, Trent Robinson or risk staying at a club that is now facing its third straight wooden spoon.
You can understand why he might be looking to get out.
* * * * *
SAINT
The NRL is often accused of having two sets of judiciary rules – one for club footy, one for Origin. On Wednesday night they got the Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii send-off and subsequent four-week ban spot on.
SINNER
Origin tickets that were far too expensive in a cost-of-living crisis. The poor fans who got in early and paid full price were then ripped off when Ticketek and the NRL offered last-minute 2-for-1 deals once it became obvious sales were down and that they’d have thousands of empty seats. Monday night’s Matildas game was far more affordable – children’s tickets from $20, concession from $25, adults from $35 and family tickets from $90. Origin tickets were more than double that.
SHOOSH
There is some angst in the refereeing ranks around the appointment of Ashley Klein to Wednesday’s Origin game ahead of Adam Gee, who was so outstanding in last year’s grand final. Apparently the decision was made by NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo, not refs boss Jared Maxwell or head of football Graham Annesley.
SHOOSH
Which NRL club has all but given up on a high-profile player who has serious gambling issues that they tried to address with him last year. The player is off the rails again, his form is ordinary and now his future at the club is very much in doubt.
NOT SPOTTED
No South Sydney Rabbitohs in the Blues’ Origin team for the first time since 2017, and a non-appearance at Accor Stadium from their No. 1 fan, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, in the NRL corporate suite where he normally sits for the blockbusters.
SPOTTED
The NSW Blues’ dressing shed was not all doom and gloom after Origin I. Especially not when Panthers forward Liam Martin was presented with the game ball as the players’ player-of-the-match in front of all the families and friends.
SPOTTED
Injured fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen sitting with his electric scooter and Storm backpack while catching the train home from training in Melbourne on Thursday night.
Wearing a beanie and with his headphones on, Papenhuyzen was reading the book, Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.
He turns 26 on Monday but got an early birthday present when he was cleared to start running again following surgery to insert a plate into his leg in his recovery from a fractured fibula.
Papenhuyzen could be back on the field for the Storm in four weeks.
SPOTTED
Channel 9 doing an Olympic TV promo before Origin featuring Matildas superstar Sam Kerr. She was ruled out of Paris months ago.
* * * * *
Gorden Tallis and Terry O’Connor were the two enforcers involved in one of rugby league’s ugliest and most infamous fights. Now they are the closest of mates.
Back in 1997 Tallis landed a series of furious blows to the Wigan front-rower in a spiteful World Club challenge final – an incident that saw both men sin binned and has since had hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube.
On Tuesday the pair met for lunch at the Coogee Bay Hotel.
“We’re great mates now,” Tallis said, “He’s probably in my top 10. The loveliest bloke.
“It’s a beautiful thing about rugby league … that you can have a stink like we did but leave it out on the field and become close friends.
“The Pearl (Steve Renouf) had a stint at Wigan and came home and said to me ‘Terry’s one of the greatest fellas ever.’
“Even my wife and Terry’s wife Jane are really close. They looked after us when we were in England for the last World Cup.”
Not that Gordie was thinking this could happen 27 years ago.
All up he struck O’Connor in the head seven times as teammates struggled to break them apart.
The Wigan forward turned to the referee and said: “What am I getting sin binned for Sir … headbutting his fist?
“Gorden unleashed the quickest punches I’ve ever seen but I managed to catch him with one, an absolute belter.”
In today’s game they’d both be facing lengthy suspensions.
“Probably six to eight weeks,” Tallis laughed.
Both men now applaud the NRL’s crackdown on punching.
“They’ve probably done the right thing,” Tallis said.
“I can understand. The NRL has more kids playing now than ever before. Reducing violence has helped that. The game’s changed and we have to accept that.”
* * * * *
Ricky Stuart has fired back at the NRL’s most powerful clubs and the whingeing about losing their superstar players to State of Origin.
The Cowboys, Roosters, Broncos and Panthers are hardest hit over the seven-week Origin schedule, losing multimillion-dollar chunks from their rosters – and 19 players between them.
“You hear all these complaints that they’ve got to give up their superstars, the poor buggers,” Stuart said.
“I’d love to have five or six State of Origin players.
“They only compete for grand finals because they’ve got more elite Origin players than the other clubs.
“And then they complain.
“We’ve only got Hudson Young at the moment but I honestly wish we had more.”
There has been huge debate in the past week about the unfairness of the State of Origin schedule and how it affects the quality and integrity of the competition over seven weeks.
Three clubs don’t contribute anyone – Wests Tigers, NZ Warriors and the Knights.
Stuart says the Raiders’ time will come where they will be providing more players on the game’s biggest stage.
“The good thing is we have an emerging roster with a lot of young players I believe can develop into Origin players,” he said.
“And if that happens, I’ll be so happy for them and our club. They’re getting good experience now and I’m very excited for their futures.”
Stuart didn’t name names.
The obvious one out of the national capital is his tough and skilful 19-year-old five-eighth Ethan Strange.
The Raiders have signed six players from the NSW under-19 Origin side, who have the potential to play for their state at the senior level.
* * * * *
Kevvie Walters is in danger of losing his second assistant coach at Brisbane in a fortnight.
First it was John Cartwright, who has signed with Hull in the UK Super League.
Now Lee Briers, the Broncos’ highly regarded attacking coach, looks set to join Wayne Bennett at South Sydney next season.
Briers would be a huge loss for the Broncos.
The former Warrington half has overseen the development of Ezra Mam, Reece Walsh and other emerging players in recent years.
He is now keen to have a stint under Bennett and eventually become an NRL head coach.
* * * * *
Some people can handle the truth and fair criticism, others can’t.
I will again be smashed on the ABC for pointing out their latest effort in the rugby league radio ratings.
On Sundays, in the all-important Sydney and Brisbane markets, Aunty’s taxpayer-funded coverage, under the stewardship of Andrew Moore, runs a distant third behind Triple M and 2GB/4BC.
Now, here are the facts.
The undeniable proof.
In both markets, Triple M has 255,000 listeners, 2GB/4BC 193,000, Aunty 104,000 and SEN 23,000.
So, ignore the tripe you will hear.
In Sydney alone, the 2GB Continuous Call team came out on top with a 10.2 per cent share of the audience to Triple M’s 7.3, Aunty’s 4.5 and SEN’s 1.1.
While the figures for live rugby league are still disappointing for SEN, the network’s midweek ratings continue to improve.
Vossy and Brandy at breakfast have tripled their ratings in 12 months.
They still, however, trail the Big Sports Breakfast, for whom your columnist works.
Bryan Fletcher and Joel Caine are doing a great job on SEN Drive and still have the biggest Sydney audience on the network.
* * * * *
The Canterbury Bulldogs have secured their long-term future with the purchase of a $50 million shopping centre in the Hunter Region.
The Dogs have bought Rutherford Marketplace near Maitland that houses a Woolworths store and 20 specialty shops that pay a combined $3 million in annual rent.
These days Leagues clubs can no longer rely on poker machine profits to sure-proof their balance sheets.
The likes of the Sydney Roosters and Cronulla Sharks have made huge property investments in recent times.
“We’re looking at a six per cent return on our investment from the start,” Leagues club deputy chairman Jim Koutsouklakis said.
“It’s a great opportunity. We’ve long held the view we need to make commercial property investments as part of our broader strategies.”
Canterbury Leagues Club funds the Bulldogs NRL team to a larger extent than any other club. Plus, more money is being invested these days in junior development and pathways.
“This is all about safeguarding the long-term future of the Bulldogs and the licensed club for our members,” Koutsouklakis said.
“The football club is working hard to become self-sufficient sooner rather than later. We have a strong development focus at a junior level which costs money.”
* * * * *
The debate continues over NRL coaches and how they spend their week off before a bye.
Benji Marshall chose to have the family holiday in Fiji and has explained why.
Three-time premier coach Trent Robinson chose to stay at work.
He did his mid-season reviews with the players for the first three days of the week and then took some time off with his family for a few days.
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