Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

[Lestronge]

Galvin will most definitely have second year syndrome . It is inevitable . Teams have now had a year to game plan and work out his weaknesses and try to exploit them .
It’s not about having it or not having it , it’s about knowing it’s going to happen and overcoming it in the shortest amount of time .
It took Bula for example almost 16 rounds before he shook it . Hopefully with Galvin it’s only a few .
I will say this , a Galvin out of form sure does strengthen our bargaining power , especially if we are still winning in spite of him .

 

[Fainu Brothers]

John Bateman has spoken for the first time since turning his back on Wests Tigers to join the Cowboys, insisting he is determined to see out his two-year deal.
The English international swapped Northern England for North Queensland in December after the Tigers granted him an early release – the second time Bateman has left an NRL club ahead of schedule to return to his homeland.


But the 31-year-old said he was “100 per cent” committed to seeing out his new contract.

“I’ll be here for the full duration, don’t you worry about that,” Bateman said.

“When I went to Canberra I was pretty fresh coming over here, no one knowing me.

“I was pretty fresh and just wanted to get my foot in the door, really, but I’ve been around a while now, obviously played a few years over here so I’m really settled in and I’m looking forward to it.”

Bateman has drawn tremendous praise from Cowboys staff for his impressive pre-season, labelling the Bradford product an unreal talent.

He conceded his two pre-seasons at Wests had not been up to scratch before declaring this had been his best in recent memory thanks to better preparation.

“I think it was just that I turned up fit, to be fair. The last couple of years I probably haven’t been fit,” Bateman said.

“When I signed for Tigers the first year I came late, obviously came (around) February, and last year I had an injury, I had my ankle (operated) on.

“So it was just coming in and getting some good reps in. It’s probably the best pre-season I’ve had in a couple of years.”

Bateman was originally signed to cover the backrow and middle, but with Heilum Luki suffering a season-ending knee injury he is shaping as a full-time edge forward.

Bateman has amassed 285 games of first grade rugby league – 219 in England and 66 in the NRL – as well as 30 internationals for England and Great Britain.

The star backrower said he was drawn to the Cowboys during early negotiations in part due to the club’s lack of scrutiny from media outlets in comparison to the Sydney market.

“Talking to the club early doors, I think it was just the way the club went about it,” Bateman said.
“There was nothing in the media, (it was) pretty quiet, came out of nowhere a little bit, and I probably just respect the club (and) the way they went about the business.

“Big decision, obviously, and talking to the coaching staff (Impressed me). So that was how I made my decision.”

The Cowboys play their first trial match against the Dolphins on February 14 in Cairns.

Good riddance he has left. Like first season we signed him late, ankle issue and was unfit. Understandable.

2nd year gets to do his holidays and extra time in 🇬🇧 still comes back unfit getting payed 700k.

Senior player my arse

 

[bptiger 0]

Realistically, I see Moses again agitating for his player's market value or release each year into the future if it is above the agreement, regardless of what WT may agree to upgrade wise this and/or next season.

If he goes to market he’s gone , u would need to be studpit to let him go there . Really there is only one way to keep him I think is to make the 8 this year

 

[weststigers]

Back row is a priority yes but so is outside backs still, we have enough money and spots open for 2026 to do both

In a struggling team he got shuffled around it's no surprise his form dipped a bit, but for the right price he is certainly worth the risk. Big body, can do yardage, quick enough to score off half chances.

Benji as a player who's been through similar could be the perfect coach for him. Just a thought anyway.

Moved around? He went from Centre to Wing. It's not that difficult to switch around and certainly doesn't explain fading in and out of games. I think you're looking at this one with rose coloured glasses.

 

[Kaito]

Good riddance he has left. Like first season we signed him late, ankle issue and was unfit. Understandable.

2nd year gets to do his holidays and extra time in 🇬🇧 still comes back unfit getting payed 700k.

Senior player my arse

Self serving shit-head, always has been since joining the league. I wanna see Samuela Fainu line up against him on May 31st and take his number down

 

[tigerballs]

Technically we have Galvin for 2025 and 2026. I expect Isaac Moses thinks he will be able to get Galvin out of the club after this season if Galvin signs elsewhere after 1 Nov 2025.

Waiting a few rounds/months to watch Galvin would be beneficial, but it will be just as beneficial to see how Latu goes as well. If Latu is firing we will have some leverage over Galvin/Moses.

If Galvin does sign elsewhere for 2026 I would be seeking a player in return to release him from his contract for 2026, rather than have him play a lame duck season with us.

The good teams don't buckle to player demands because everyone is replaceable. We're not a good team yet but we have to start acting like one if we want to be one. Penrith let Luai go, who saw that coming? Obviously, they think they can win without him. If we think we can win without Galvin, or we've got him covered, don't pay overs.
I'm fairly sure Latu or even Mason could work well with Luai. A good backup half is probably of more concern if Luai goes down. We've probably got hooker covered, 5/8 as well, another fullback would be nice, make sure we've always got a decent spine on the park. We've mostly got the rest covered.

 

[Rock Hopper Steve]

I thought Twal had a pretty good season last year. Leg speed was much improved and one of the few that makes a dominant tackle. No world beater but is a useful player that most clubs would find handy to have in their squad. And a top bloke to boot.
You can't have a team of elites in the forwards just need players prepared to work hard.

You can't have a pack of elites, so true T there's a roadblock called the salary cap, overweight it in the forwards then the backs suffer and vice versa it's a balancing act the top clubs can do it and hopefully now we are headed in the right direction as for Twaly still think he has something to offer.

 

[crazycat]

With all this speculation around Brown being offered a million a year by the Knights. What does everyone think Galvin is worth, how much is too much for us to keep him. I'd offer 650k over 4 years with clauses if we make finals then every year after ratchets up to 750k. But even that has me in two minds, he's only in his 2nd year and done nothing. In a decent system he's prob a future origin player, but he's not there yet, even 650k is a lot on potential. On the other hand his potential is of a franchise player. I'm torn on it. If he was asking 800k and left I'd be gutted but imo atm he's not an 800k half. If Brown is being offered 1 mil a year what's too much to keep Galvin?

It's so tough, isn't it?

For 650, even 750K per year. Sure I would sign him!

Yet if Brown is being offered 1 Million. I see Galvin getting offers of 900k min.
I can even see clubs offering him 1.1 Million, just to get him on their books.


That's why I think he may be sacrificed. Sure we want to sign him. But signing at Crazy prices means we won't be able to get that 2RF or decent center we need. Plus with Benji and Inglis on the coaching staff, what 5/8 wouldn't want to be here to partner Luai?

 

[Tiger-ferret]

Realistically, I see Moses again agitating for his player's market value or release each year into the future if it is above the agreement, regardless of what WT may agree to upgrade wise this and/or next season.

Exactly. Upgrading a contract like Galvin’s is just a guaranteed pay rise for both player and agent. Just means the next club has to pay at least what tigers are paying. The length of contract is irrelevant.

 

[shankspony]

Galvin will most definitely have second year syndrome . It is inevitable . Teams have now had a year to game plan and work out his weaknesses and try to exploit them .
It’s not about having it or not having it , it’s about knowing it’s going to happen and overcoming it in the shortest amount of time .
It took Bula for example almost 16 rounds before he shook it . Hopefully with Galvin it’s only a few .
I will say this , a Galvin out of form sure does strengthen our bargaining power , especially if we are still winning in spite of him .

I disagree. Last season as a 19 year old he was expected to be the main man, and to be fair he tried really hard to be that player and went well. This year with Luai will be completely different, he will be able to follow Luai's lead and chime in when he sees something. The combination will take time to work but Luai will demand, and receive, the ball often leaving Galvin to have limited but hopefully quality touches. The kid is a gun and he will improve even more this year, no second year syndrome for Gal!

 

[JC99]

Moved around? He went from Centre to Wing. It's not that difficult to switch around and certainly doesn't explain fading in and out of games. I think you're looking at this one with rose coloured glasses.

Theyre completely different position and he was swapped back and forth a few times. No doubt there was other factors affecting his form also

 

[crazycat]

So guys how much is too much though?
What is the max you would offer Galvin in this market that you guys think is fair?
I seriously am stumped, myself I can't answer it. We will be signing on potential, the potential is huge, but it's still unrealised. What would it take for both you guys to walk away?

I consider what Galvin is not:

I doubt he will be a halfback. He has some good organisational and leadership qualities, but I don't see him as being like Clearly/Cronk/strong squad organiser and he won't be if he stays here.

Galvin isn't a kicker, from what I have seen. Being able to position and time kicks is a key skill in the Halves.

Flip it Galvin seems to have extreme physical fitness and a NRL footy head. Like a ball playing Chris Lawrence. Could develop into a Munster like player.

So how much do we pay him?
600k is Turuva money, but we need a 5/8.
800k is good prop money. I kinda consider this 2 signings.
1000k is "gun" money. You expect a player who wins games.
over that is crazy money.

800k is a lot of cap space, 1m is close to us signing an AFB style forward or two good backs. When you have Latu Fainu already on the books for 500k ... It's very hard to justify going above 800k.

That said, I see Galvin taking the field in every game.

 

[tigertragic]

I have suggested before we should not sign Galvin for more than a total of 4 years (2028) at halves money as there is every likelihood he will be a forward by then. The 4 years could suit both parties.

 

[crazycat]

Do you? Really???
Brown has played 6 seasons of NRL as a starting 5/8th, playing 123 games.
His teams have made the finals 4 of those years including a grand final.
He has played 8 Test Matches for New Zealand as a starting 5/8, winning 6 of them.
Galvin has done nothing, except make the Mickey Mouse PMs 13 team where he proved out of his depth.

You are right though, they’ll pay him a fortune on his potential alone.

Tucker,

Damn I appreciate the reality check. Dead set right.

Galvin can play, he will play well. But the hype is extreme.

So either Parra or Newcastle will fail to sign Brown. Are we ready to go into a 1m bidding war for Galvin?

 

[Tucker]

Tucker,

Damn I appreciate the reality check. Dead set right.

Galvin can play, he will play well. But the hype is extreme.

So either Parra or Newcastle will fail to sign Brown. Are we ready to go into a 1m bidding war for Galvin?

I think we might to need to and that’s not a good thing…
It’s not good for him from a development viewpoint - when you get everything you want before you’ve earned it, changes appear in your drive and mentality toward things.
It’s going to cause us to force others out - some will say we will finish getting rid of deadwood, however we still need to replace them. It will cost us players we want to keep too.
It’s going to set a precedent that will be very difficult to upkeep for subsequent contracts - the chances of him being a Tiger for life will drop to almost zero. If he ends up as good as people are predicting, that will sting in the future.

 

[Tiger_Yoshi]

I've said this before but people still don't seem to have grasped it so I'll repeat it: saying there's "no rush" with Galvin or we can wait till mid-season or whatever misses an absolutely fundamental point. That is that the Tigers have one massive bit of leverage in this situation: the ability to upgrade Galvin's contract in 2025 and 2026. As things stand, he's going to play the next two seasons for relative peanuts - which leaves him massively exposed if he gets a bad injury, say.

The Tigers can fix that for him and no other club can - but only if they act now. If they do the half-arsed, "well let's see how you go" BS that most people on here seem to prefer they're basically giving up the only advantage they have in this situation. Let's say we get to June and Galvin has been tearing up, and he club suggests opening negotiations at that stage. You think Galvin isn't going to say "yeahnah I reckon I'll let this ride for a couple of months"?

Has anyone given any thought to why well run clubs don't have their good young players come up for open bidding? It's because they back their ability to identify talent and lock it in early, using the advantage of being able to offer a life-changing contract during the period where they are the only club in a position to do so. You don't see the Panthers, Roosters or Storm saying "yeah we think he's going to be a superstar but whatever, let it ride and we'll see if we can make the best bid on the open market". It's madness.

Realistically, none of us is qualified to know for sure whether Galvin is going to be a superstar or whether the chances are 40%, 60% or 90%. But the club has to make that call, and then act decisively on the basis of whatever it is. If they think Galvin is the one, and they're lucky, they might be able to get him to sign for what will prove to be unders this time round (though to the people who think 650k a year is going to do it - congratulations on coming up with an offer that gets you laughed out of the door. I can just about see 800k for 25 and 26 then a mil for the three years after that doing it). If they don't, or they think Fainu is going to be even better and we can't keep both, trade Galvin now before we lose him for nothing.

But for goodness' sake don't do nothing. There's one window to be decicive and do something that benefits the club, and it's more or less right now.

I believe the WT want to do something NOW, I believe it's the Galvin family and his Manager that are pushing back

 

[2041]

You say we have a big advantage because we can potentially upgrade him…Yes your right,but we are talking about a salary cap that thas and can be abused . Any club can throw a ton of cash indirectly at Galvin. We all know this stuff has and is happening.

My point is…if you think we hold all the trumps because we have him under contract, sadly it doesn’t work that way. Okay we might technically have him till October 2026, but a guy like Moses can dictate terms through sheer weight of players in his stable

I didn't say we hold all the trumps. Quite the reverse: I said we have one bit of leverage so we really have to try to use it.

I know it sounds dramatic but if Galvin doesn't extend by the start of the season, or at least by an informal deadline set by the club that isn't far into it, I think they need to start thinking about and acting on succession planning. If Galvin's intention is to go to the open market I don't think there's any chance at all that we retain him.

I'd also say that I'm not completely without hope. It takes a pretty strong character to decide to wait another two years to get a massive pay rise when there's one on offer right there. What worries me is that, given that's the case, it already seems to have taken longer than it should if he was keen to stay. If it was me I'd have taken the money months ago!

 

[TurnStyle]

Realistically, I see Moses again agitating for his player's market value or release each year into the future if it is above the agreement, regardless of what WT may agree to upgrade wise this and/or next season.

Sadly I agree. Really wish he had a different agent; he seems a scourge of the game.
What is it with the name Moses and separation...? 🤔

Still, I agree with previous posts by @2041 and @Jolls in that the tigers are in the strongest position to retain him. Thank God we have Richo - in previous years Galvin would probably already be gone.

Also, I don't ascribe to the 2nd year blues syndrome: I think it is a myth and often an excuse.

Come to think of it, I think Brooks had about 8 second years! 😂

Every coach and the player himself should be aware that a breakout player no longer has the luxury of having no video or the factor of being an unknown entity and should consciously work to maintain player progression.

Could be wrong, but it strikes me as being in the "every team wins the game after sacking is coach" category.

 

[Enmore_Tiger]

The other value of Galvin with 2 years still on his contract is the possibly of a trade for a quality lock or backrower from his agents books. That is leverage too if he signs somewhere else stuck in low money.

 

[Rock Hopper Steve]

Notice over at WTP forum that Helmes is still sticking with something is about to happen regarding Galvan.