‘Deeper roots’ to teenage talent’s Wests Tigers furore

The real story behind the Wests Tigers’ drama with their most promising player is coming clearer after his shock request to be let go.

Lachlan Galvin. Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images.

Lachlan Galvin’s camp will be “unwavering” in their quest to gain an early release from the Wests Tigers — and now it’s been revealed that there’s “deeper roots” behind the 18-year-old’s unhappiness at the club.

A bombshell report dropped over the weekend claiming that Galvin’s manager had requested a release on numerous occasions. It was also claimed that he told his teammates in the sheds after last week’s horror loss to the Dragons that he wants to leave.

Galvin is signed to the Tigers until the end of 2026 and CEO Shane Richardson has stated that the club has “no intention” of releasing him.

Speaking on NRL 360, News Corp journalist Dave Riccio reiterated Richardson’s stance.

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“Shane Richardson has declared that over his dead body will Lachlan Galvin be getting an early release from the club,” he said.

“My understanding is that the Galvin camp, including his family, will be unwavering in requesting a release from the Wests Tigers. It’s not to do with money, it’s about the belief in where his trajectory is at the football club.”

Lachlan Galvin wants out. Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images.

Riccio later revealed that there’s been some restlessness in Galvin’s camp for quite some time due to the club bringing in other players that could’ve potentially blocked his path to the NRL like Latu Fainu, his brother Samuela Fainu and Bud Sullivan.

“There’s deeper roots that run here and it relates back to originally, well before this season, where there was a belief from Benji Marshall that Lachlan was more of a back-rower,” he said.

“The Fainu’s were signed at the Tigers — one of which is a back-rower — and at that point in time Galvin and his family questioned why ‘you’d bought over the top of me’.

“Then Jarome Luai was bought as well as Sullivan. So it feels as though from Galvin’s point of view there’s constant roadblocks in front of him.”

Rugby league great Gorden Tallis, however, questioned why Galvin signed a Top 30 deal ahead of this season if he was unsure about whether he could achieve success at the Tigers.

But veteran journalist Paul Crawley was quick to point out that the Tigers’ nine-game losing streak is unsurprisingly having an impact on Galvin.

“They’ve lost nine straight, you’d be flat out finding a bloke there that truly believes in the direction that club’s going in,” he said.

“He’s probably speaking out of school in front of his mates, but it’s then getting relayed to the media. I actually feel sorry for the kid.

“It points to the bigger problem at the club and that’s obviously the lack of belief.

“You’ve got Stefano (Utoikamanu), who was offered this huge deal, who doesn’t want to take it up because he wants to chase his premiership dream.

“You’ve got a young guy here that could be the next big thing and again he’s questioning where he is. He wouldn’t be the only bloke there (doing that).

“This is a club that’s been down in the doldrums for over a decade. They’ve gone through a stack of coaches and now they’re coming off back-to-back wooden spoons — and odds-on favourites to win another.

“No wonder there’s disharmony.”

Meanwhile, Riccio questioned why Galvin, who is being rested this week, has been allowed to play through a hand injury at such a young age.

“The other key point here is are we supposed to ignore that an 18-year-old has been receiving painkilling injections in a fractured hand, such is the pressure at this club at the moment?

“Where is the concern or the long-term plan? I think it’s a poor reflection of where the club is at the moment.”

NRL 360 host Braith Anasta, who is also a player agent, questioned whether there’s been some “agitation” from those advising Galvin — and also the advice that he’s been given.

“I know this is hard because yes I am a player agent, but I like to have pride in the way I handle my players,” he said.

“You’re talking about an 18-year-old kid. You’re telling me that his agent isn’t talking to other clubs, isn’t telling his family at the moment that he shouldn’t be there.

“This is my concern because I’ve seen it happen a lot and I experienced it as a player, if the wrong people get into the kid’s ear they lead him in the wrong direction, they tell him the things he wants to hear instead of the things he should be hearing.

“Then all of a sudden he’s going into the chanegroom saying ‘I don’t want to be here’ to his teammates, which he shouldn’t be doing.

“And people close to him, if they care about him, should be saying ‘you should not be doing that.’

“So it’s also when they’re that young, the advice from the people they have around them guiding them in the right direction.

“Should he be thinking about leaving? Yes because you’ve just stated why. But is there a way to go about it? Yes there is.”

Originally published as ‘Deeper roots’ to teenage talent’s Wests Tigers furore