It is an interesting connundrum that has been raised re; Galvin and To'o.
On the surface, To'o certainly improves us. His returns are better than our front rowers and he is a finisher.
For a 26 year old, he has achieved a hell of a lot so far and that experience makes him an old head on young shoulders - invaluable to a squad on and off the field.
Galvin has shown a lot of promise. He is a born NRL player, looking extremely comfortable mixing it with players he used to look up to as a fan on tele. His skill set, body composition and IQ make him a valuable commodity in the league. Is he a 5/8th? I dont think so personally, but he could be a world class backrower...I see lots of rep jerseys in his furture there.
Should we trade Galvin for To'o? Its a decision that could make or break the club.
- Galvin has a career likely stretching to another 15+ years. To'o would have less than 10 left.
- Galvin is versatile - 5/8, backrow, centre. To'o is a meter eating winger.
- To'o provides immediate impact. Galvin still has training wheels on.
- To'o has huge history with Api and Luai as well as Turuva, Staines and Naden. Galvin is still building combinations and relationships in firsts, but does have them with the young guns coming through.
- Us losing a lot of experience this year in the pack would be a plus for To'o as he picks up some of their slack...something our replacements would certainly require.
At the end of the day, it will come down to that meeting that Richo had with MR and Mrs Galvin and Moses. Did he tell them to STFU until its time to negotiate a new deal? I think so. Galvin has credited Joey Johns with changing his mind, not the club. Is he on a countdown timer until November next year? It would be extremely naive to think that Moses hasnt been chatting behind the scenes and doesnt already have initial ballpark figures communicated to him from the big clubs.
Its a tough position to be in for Richo.
Does he take the risk that Galvin will re-sign with us and not try the swap deal? This will supply short term pain for potential long term gain, persuant to bringing other players here to keep the kid on the hook.
Does he trust his gut that Lachie will go and do the deal? Only Richo knows the likelyhood of this one based upon conversations completed. This will supply short term gain for potential long term pain. A return to the finals in 2025 would be more likely with To'o in the team than Galvin. That said, what is the ceiling?
Does he come up with some ingenius way of getting them both here? Who else could he offer? Turuva and Matamua as an example?
Im sure he is very busy at the moment. There is a lot more going on than we could come up with as a collective unit on here Id suspect...
Whatever happens, the drama that is Wests Tigers will remain the top billed show in town.