Phil Gould confirms Lachlan Galvin is set to join Canterbury Bulldogs from Wests Tigers

Wests Tigers star Lachlan Galvin is set to leave $1 million on the table after Canterbury head of football Phil Gould confirmed the playmaker could be days away from joining the Bulldogs.

Lachlan Galvin has set his sights on super-charging the Bulldogs quest to end the club’s 21-year wait for a premiership.

Bulldogs head of football Phil Gould confirmed on Sunday afternoon that Galvin had indicated his preference was to sign with the ‘Dogs after the 19-year-old was given permission to negotiate with rival clubs with a view to leaving the Wests Tigers with immediate effect.

Galvin’s camp are expected to hold further talks with the Tigers on Monday as they look to finalise his release and clear the way for him to join the top-of-the-table ‘Dogs on a deal believed to be worth upwards of $700,000 a season.

Parramatta were also in the mix for Galvin and it is understood they tabled a deal worth about $750,000 a season, still well short of the $6 million deal that the Tigers had prepared for one of the best young players in the game.

Galvin could have earned significantly more money by staying at the Tigers - or even joining Parramatta - but the temptation to join the Bulldogs revolution under Gould and head coach Cameron Ciraldo was ultimately too difficult to resist.

Galvin’s long-time mentor Luke Vella is also on the coaching staff at the ‘Dogs. Gould confirmed they were closing in on the teenager playmaker’s signature, a move that would mean he leaves more than $1 million on the table.

“We still haven’t closed off on a deal yet, and there are still some things that have got to be worked out with the West Tigers,” Gould said on the Nine Network.

“I would hope that in the next 48 hours we have far greater clarity. But Lachlan, to his credit, has come out and said his preference was the Bulldogs, so we’ll try and accommodate that.”

Gould had previously distanced the club from Galvin but insisted the goalposts had moved when it became clear that they could get their hands on him before June 30.

“When [Galvin] first told the West Tigers he wasn’t going to play in 2027, he was still contracted until the end of 2026,” Gould said.“Even if we wanted to sign him for 2027, we couldn’t negotiate until the 1st of November this year. That’s 18 months to hang around wondering whether or not you’ve got a player. So that didn’t suit our timeframe. I said we would stick to the program that we’ve got.

Lachlan Galvin is poised to join the Bulldogs. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

“What happened this week is the goalpost got moved incredibly, because all of a sudden we got a call on Tuesday from [his] manager [Isaac Moses] to say that there was a chance they were negotiating a release with the Tigers and he would be available virtually now.”

The Tigers will ultimately have the final say on when he arrives at Belmore as he remains under contract for the remainder of this season and next.

However, it is understood they will not stand in his way provided they receive a transfer fee for the teenager. It is understood the fee will be in the vicinity of $175,000.

The final details are expected to be negotiated on Monday. The next question will be where Galvin slots into a side that is riding high at the top of the ladder.

One option will be to play Galvin at halfback alongside Matt Burton, which would likely squeeze Toby Sexton out of the side.

The young half has been a mainstay for the ‘Dogs this season but is off contract at the end of the year and the club has shown no urgency to re-sign him.

While a place in the halves is the most obvious spot for Galvin, he could also play alongside Sexton with Burton moving to centre or fullback.

Those decisions can be made once Galvin arrives at Belmore, potentially as early as this week with a view to making his debut for the club in a fortnight against one of the sides he spurned, Parramatta.

His departure from the Tigers will end an unsavoury standoff which escalated into legal action amid claims from Galvin’s camp that he had been bullied after opting not to consider a $6 million extension from the club.

Moses arrived at a meeting with Tigers chief executive Shane Richardson armed with a dossier of concerns, having made it clear they had no interest in hearing what the Tigers were prepared to offer as a contract extension.

Lachlan Galvin is Belmore bound. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

His decision is set to have a ripple effect across the NRL. The Eels, having lost out in the race for Galvin, will now turn their attention to other areas in their chase for a half.

Sydney Roosters playmaker Sandon Smith and Melbourne half Jonah Pezet are likely to feature prominently on their wish-list as they look to find someone capable of playing alongside Mitchell Moses.

Smith is contracted at the Roosters but the arrival of Daly Cherry-Evans, the return of Sam Walker and the emergence of Hugo Savala could lead him to explore other options.

Pezet has an agreement in his deal with the Storm that he can look elsewhere if they re-sign Jahrome Hughes - it is understood they are poised to do just that, meaning Pezet may seek a loan deal or permanent position elsewhere.

Originally published as Phil Gould confirms Lachlan Galvin is set to join Canterbury Bulldogs from Wests Tigers