Secret document flips script on Lachlan Galvin salary drama as Bulldogs primed for NRL premiership

Many have questioned if the signing of Lachlan Galvin will derail the Bulldogs’ premiership hopes, but a secret document reveals it could do the opposite.

Lachlan Galvin’s move to the Bulldogs has been clouded in controversy as many questioned where he fits into Canterbury’s side, but a secret document shows it may be the final piece of their NRL premiership puzzle.

The teenager’s future was finally confirmed on Friday, with the Tigers releasing him and the Bulldogs later confirming they had signed him on a three-and-a-half-year deal worth around $750,000 a season.

FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every game of every round in the 2025 NRL Telstra Premiership, LIVE with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer.

However, his arrival at Belmore means halfback Toby Sexton – who has been a revelation in 2025 – is expected to make way.

Therefore many Bulldogs fans felt bringing the 19-year-old was not only unnecessary but could destabilise the club, who are first on the NRL ladder.

Lachlan Galvin could be the final piece of the Bulldogs' puzzle. Image: Getty

But statistically, the Bulldogs’ bid to end their 21-year premiership drought is only boosted by the arrival of Galvin, with their roster now ready for a serious title challenge, according to the NRL’s confidential benchmarking documents.

The salary cap documents, obtained by Code Sports, outline the average wage for each position and provide somewhat of a blueprint for building a premiership-winning roster.

And they revealed that last year’s top four spent 40 per cent of their salary cap on their top five players and 60 per cent on their top 10 players – meaning the top five paid players are paid $4.5 million. The teams also had an average spine age of 26.

So the data says the way to build a premiership-winning team is to have at least three marquee players on $800,000 a season, a younger spine and a top-heavy roster.

Incredibly the Bulldogs, with the arrival of Galvin, now tick every box except their overall spend on top players being below the $4.5m benchmark.

That is because Canterbury is one of the only clubs without a $1m plus marquee player. Stephen Crichton, Viliame Kikau and Matt Burton are the only three at the club on more than $800,000 a season, with that number up to four when Leo Thompson joins the Belmore outfit.

But many could argue Galvin is a $1m player himself, given he was offered more than that a season to stay at the Tigers, which means data-wise wise at least the Bulldogs are primed for a premiership.

NRL 2025 RD03 Dolphins v Wests Tigers – Lachlan Galvin NRL PHOTOS

If you take a look at four-time premiers Penrith, the way their squad is structured is very similar to that of how the Bulldogs.

The Panthers’ spine had an average age of 26.75, they had three players believed to be earning more than $800,000 a year – Nathan Cleary, James Fisher-Harris and Isaah Yeo – and had other stars just under that mark, Dylan Edwards and Jarome Luai.

Salary structures historically also showed those who didn’t have several stars on at least $800,000 found themselves near the bottom of the table.

Last year, for example, the bottom four teams had an average of 2.8 players in their roster on at least $800,000.

So if data and history are anything to go by, the key to building a premiership-winning side is to have several stars on close to $1m a year and a handful of others around the $600,000 to $800,000 mark, and a spine that is reaching their prime and not beyond it.

The Bulldogs have followed that blueprint perfectly and only time will tell if that will bear fruit for their supporters.

Originally published as Secret document flips script on Lachlan Galvin salary drama as Bulldogs primed for NRL premiership