Wests Tigers risk losing Talyn da Silva on top of Lachlan Galvin
Already reeling from Lachlan Galvin’s unexpected exit, the Wests Tigers risk losing another rising star. See the full story.
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Wests Tigers chief executive Shane Richardson has conceded the club may be powerless to keep young hooker Tallyn da Silva beyond next season as they prepare to sit down for talks with captain Api Koroisau over a contract extension.
Da Silva, a local junior who has featured in all seven games for the Tigers this season off the interchange bench, enters the final year of his deal on November 1.
In an ideal world, the Tigers would retain da Silva at the club as part of a succession plan for when Koroisau decides to call it a day.
The issue for the Tigers is that Koroisau too enters the final year of his deal on November 1 and looks set to continue well beyond that given the way he has played this season.
Koroisau is also an important leader among the playing group and it is understood he and the Tigers will kick off discussions over an extension as early as next month.
That could mean da Silva follows his good mate Lachlan Galvin out of the club as he looks to lock down a starting spot elsewhere.
Richardson concedes any decision to extend Koroisau may cost them da Silva.
“Tallyn doesn’t want to move on mate,” Richardson said.
“Tallyn’s decision I think will be based around what we do with Api and that’s fair enough. He wants to play first grade.”
If there is a silver lining from Galvin’s decision to depart at the end of next season, it is that the Tigers now have clarity around their salary cap for 2026 and beyond.
The Tigers had finalised an offer to Galvin that would have included an upgrade next year as well as $5 million for the five years after that.
However, with Galvin set to depart at the end of 2026, they now have more money to spend on retaining some of the players whose careers were in limbo pending talks with their talented teenage playmaker.
“But again, everything with Tallyn was also based on what happened with Lachie,” Richardson said.
“How much money you’ve got depends on whether Lachie is here or not. Now I can actually think about the Tallyn da Silvia’s and (Adam) Doueihi and (Brent) Naden’s and everybody else in his club. So it’s not a bad thing that way.
“And Tallyn da Silva is a great kid, he‘s come through (as a junior) but he wants to play first grade and start. He doesn’t want 20 minutes and 25 minutes.
“Api has been a great leader for us and I haven’t sat down and spoken to his manager about (an extension) yet. The first thing, the first piece of the puzzle was sorting out Lachie.”
SPOTTED
Powerful player agent Isaac Moses meeting with Parramatta officials in western Sydney on Thursday morning. Before you get too excited Eels fans, this masthead can reveal the meeting was over some of the juniors that Moses has at the club.
LENIU AND THURSTON FACE OFF FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE UGLY SPAT
Sydney Roosters firebrand Spencer Leniu and Nine commentator Johnathan Thurston are set to cross paths on Anzac Day for the first time since their ugly spat earlier this month.
Leniu and Thurston were involved in a heated public confrontation after the Roosters shocked Brisbane at Suncorp Stadium a fortnight ago.
At the time, Leniu was filthy with Thurston after the North Queensland legend called for him to receive a longer suspension over his racial abuse of Broncos half Ezra Mam last year in Las Vegas.
It is understood the Roosters prop called a stunned Thurston a ‘f..kwit” as he left the field during the game. The pair then ripped into each other after the match was over, prompting players and officials to intervene to calm down the situation.
Thurston said he was willing to speak with Leniu.
“As Spencer left the field he made an abusive comment to me, which took me and those around me by surprise,” Thurston said in a statement the next day. “The comment was not of a racial nature but was overly aggressive in tone and unwarranted.”
Now they are set to bump into each other again on Friday at Allianz Stadium as Leniu takes centre stage for the Roosters and Thurston performs his duties with the Nine Network.
This masthead understands that Thurston will not be involved in on-field duties but is set to be part of the panel for the game.
It seems hard to believe that the pair won’t come across each other at some point on Friday afternoon as one of the most emotional days on the rugby league calendar unfolds before a packed house.
FOXX ON THE RUN
Josh Addo-Carr has continued his outstanding try-scoring record since his move to Parramatta, crossing five times in five games for his new club.
It’s not just his form on the field that has won over the club’s fans and officials. Talk to those at the Eels and they will tell you that Addo-Carr has been a positive influence on the playing group and a favourite among the fans.
The Eels have until the middle of June to take up an option in Addo-Carr’s contract for next season. It is no longer a matter of if, but more a matter of when that happens given the way Addo-Carr has been embraced by the club and its fans.
CLUBS START CASHING IN ON PNG DEAL
NRL clubs are set to share in a $30 million windfall next week thanks to Papua New Guinea and the federal government.
This masthead can reveal that the first instalment of the $600 million payment to the NRL for granting an expansion franchise to PNG is set to drop in the bank accounts of clubs on Monday.
Each of the game’s 17 clubs will receive a $1.75 million financial boost as part of a $4 million payment over the next five years for giving the green light to the PNG bid.
The money is set to be transferred as the NRL confirms that a Perth team aligned with the North Sydney Bears will enter the premiership in 2027.
The clubs are expected to receive an additional financial sweetener for the Perth team, meaning they will be flushed with funds like never before.
Every team in the NRL should now be in the black given the PNG payment.
STORM RAIDING PARTY TO CONTINUE
The Melbourne Storm have already been the victims of an expansion raiding party after they were targeted by the Dolphins. Now they are set to find themselves in the crosshairs again as they attempt to solve a $6 million dilemma involving a handful of their biggest names.
No club in the NRL is arguably more vulnerable to a Perth poaching raid more than the Storm as the West Australian side prepares to enter the NRL in 2027.
The Storm have some of their biggest names coming off contract at the end of 2026, meaning they are up for grabs on November 1 and shape as logical targets for the Perth expansion team.
The group is led by captain Harry Grant and halfback Jahrome Hughes but also includes Nick Meaney. Ryan Papenhuyzen, Shawn Blore, Tyran Wishart, Will Warbrick and Xavier Coates.
All told, the group would be worth around $6 million on the open market. Expansion plans in 2027 and 2028, when PNG enters the competition, will have an inflationary impact on the market and mean the Storm are likely to feel the squeeze as much as anyone.
“We are well underway with conversations with all of them,” Storm chair Matt Tripp said.
“We’re really confident we will be able to keep all those players. We think we have a really good chance over the next few years to do some great things.
“That’s on the proviso that we keep this group together.”
Intriguingly, coach Craig Bellamy is also due to come off contract at the end of next season as his rolling five-year deal comes to an end,
Bellamy will coach on next year with an announcement imminent. However, he has given no indication yet that he will extend his deal as he eyes off a reduced role as a consultant either at the Storm or at another club.
PNG is expected to target the three-time premiership winner along with the Manu Pasifika bid, who have already spoken to the Bellamy camp about a role should they secure an expansion licence.
Bellamy’s future could also have an impact on the Storm’s playing ranks given he has been the greatest magnet for talent in the NRL in recent seasons.
RAIDERS RAMP UP PLANS TO RE-SIGN RAKE
Canberra have stepped up plans to retain Tom Starling after outlining their desire to keep the in-form hooker on a two-year deal.
It is understood Starling’s management met the Raiders in the nation’s capital on Thursday and have taken a significant step towards keeping the 26-year-old, who has been one of the competition’s form players this season.
The arrival of Jayden Brailey next season has done little to dissuade the Raiders as they prepare to head into 2026 with three quality hookers in their ranks – Owen Pattie is regarded as one of the best young players in the game.
Starling has started all seven games for the Raiders in 2026.
BULLDOGS LAND RISING DRAGONS STAR
St George Illawarra coach Shane Flanagan has been left frustrated after the Dragons lost one of their brightest prospects to a multi-year deal to Canterbury.
Boom forward Finau Latu has agreed to a three-year contract to join Canterbury from next season. Latu has knocked back an approach from the Knights while St George Illawarra were also keen to keep the 18-year-old.
Instead he will join the Bulldogs from next season. Latu has impressed at the Dragons after joining the club from Minchinbury. He was part of their successful SG Ball premiership winning side which ended St George’s 32-year title drought.
The decision left Flanagan frustrated.
“I wanted to keep him and I’m not happy about the negotiation side of it,” Flanagan said. “Sometimes you lose them because you’re not willing to pay a certain fee, or you don’t want the player, but we wanted to keep him, and we’re not happy.
“We’ve brought that young bloke up the last three or four years and we wanted to keep him and never got an opportunity to.”
He has been part of the Dragons NSW Cup squad this year.
The Dragons have re-signed several key forwards already this year including Dylan Egan, Ryan and Toby Couchman, Jacob Halangahu and Loko Pasifiki Tonga.
They have also locked in young half Lyhkan King-Togia for the next two years.
“I’ve got some good relationships with agents, and they’re all got their pros and cons,” Flanagan said. “I’ve read Ricky (Stuart) is not happy to with what’s going on with (Manly’s pursuit of) Jamal Fogarty, we’ve got the Lachlan Galvin situation.
“It’s too big a problem for me to solve, but I’m not happy about it.”
FLASHBACK
Anthony Mundine walked out on the Dragons on this day 25 years ago. Mundine left the country with his whereabouts unknown leaving St George Illawarra in the lurch. Mundine travelled to the US and would eventually quit the NRL to pursue boxing.
PNG STAR ON THE HUNT FOR NEW CLUB
PNG international Sylvester Namo is on the lookout for an NRL spot after an abrupt exit with Super League club Castleford.
Namo joined Castleford last year but the impressive prop has left the club and will return to Australia immediately. Several NRL clubs are already aware of Namo’s availability.
STADIUM EJECTION
A photographer was escorted from Allianz Stadium after he entered the sideline without the correct accreditation.
Security sprung to action in the opening exchanges of the Roosters and Panthers clash after they noticed a photographer walking the sidelines without the appropriate pass.
“An individual was inadvertently issued incorrect accreditation, allowing access to restricted back-of-house areas within the venue,” a Venues NSW spokesman said. “The individual was promptly identified by security near the field of play and was immediately escorted from the premises.”
Originally published as Wests Tigers risk losing Talyn da Silva on top of Lachlan Galvin
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