Wests Tigers playmaker Lachlan Galvin opens up on tough time after returning to the NRL

He’s been the most talked about player in the NRL for two weeks for a lot of the wrong reasons and Lachlan Galvin opened up on the tough time after returning for the Wests Tigers.

Wantaway West Tigers playmaker Lachlan Galvin has maintained he is “living the dream” despite the ongoing unrest surrounding his future and what he declared had been a “pretty difficult” time.

Galvin has been at the centre of a tumultuous fortnight at the Tigers after forgoing a five-year, $6 million contract extension to remain at the club, citing issues around his long-term development.

The 19-year-old playmaker was dropped to reserve grade in response to his decision, only to be recalled for the Tigers’ upset golden point victory over the Sharks on Sunday afternoon.

Galvin played a key role in the crucial win, having a hand in all three of the Tigers’ tries to help catapult the club back within touching distance of the NRL’s top eight.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 27: Lachlan Galvin of the Wests Tigers runs with the ball during the round eight NRL match between Wests Tigers and Cronulla Sharks at Leichhardt Oval, on April 27, 2025, in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)

While questions over his future beyond 2026 were off limits, Galvin said post-game that his love for the game has not wavered despite the conjecture over his decision.

“All I want to do is play rugby league. That’s why I live, to be honest,” Galvin said.

“The best time of my life is the 80 minutes I play each week. That’s all I want to do – play NRL and play great footy – and that’s all I really focused on these last two weeks.

“It’s been pretty difficult, but I have a great support group. I’m just living my dream playing NRL. The media and all that, it gets tough, but at the end of the day I’m just focused on turning up to training, working hard and playing my best.

“That’s all I live for and all that I want to do with my life – [is] play rugby league.”

Faced with an anxious start on his return from a brief, albeit dramatic, stint with the Western Suburbs Magpies, any sense of nerves for Galvin were instantly allayed upon catching a wind-affected Sharks kick-off to start proceedings.

Lachlan Galvin warms up before he takes on the Cronulla Sharks at Leichhardt Oval. Photo: Tom Parrish

Nine minutes later, Galvin would lay on the Tigers’ first try for back-rower Samuela Fainu and followed up with try assists for Sunia Turuva and Tallyn Da Silva.

The result could have been very different if not for Galvin’s last ditch defensive effort on tearaway Sharks prop Tom Hazelton, who did everything but score in the dying stages of regulation time.

“I just thought ‘close your eyes, go for his legs and do your best’. I was very stoked to get him, to be honest,” Galvin laughed.

“All the boys put in a lot of effort and a lot of scramble plays [to get the result]. Our theme this year is trying to win ugly, and fight teams to the death.

“Kudos to all the boys, they showed up.”