From April 5:
Wests Tigers chief executive Shane Richardson has revealed he rejected a request for a release from Lachlan Galvin’s manager on his first official day in the job, shedding light on the family meeting that convinced the rookie sensation he belonged at the Wests Tigers.
Galvin has been a revelation in the Tigers No.6 jersey made famous by his coach, Benji Marshall, but just a few short weeks ago the 18-year-old was looking for the exit doors fearing a lack of opportunity at the club.
Lachlan Galvin celebrates the Tigers’ win.CREDIT:GETTY
Galvin’s management approached the club on multiple occasions during the off-season, under the leadership of both Richardson and his predecessor Justin Pascoe, to seek permission to depart the club in response to the Tigers’ recruitment strategy.
Galvin and his family were concerned his path to first grade was blocked following the recruitment of Aidan Sezer, Jayden Sullivan, Latu Fainu and later Jarome Luai for 2025, prompting concerns from his agent Isaac Moses.
Lachie Galvin’s family (clockwise from left) brothers Matthew and Tom, mum Tracy and father James.
Richardson called a meeting with Moses, Galvin and his father James at the club’s Concord headquarters in February before the team departed for New Zealand for the first preseason trial of the year, attempting to allay the family’s concerns.
“I met with Isaac and his dad because we had no intention of Lachie going anywhere,” Richardson said.
“What the family really wanted to know is where he belonged with us. They were thinking, ‘You bought all these people, all these playmakers, so where does my kid stand?’ And to be honest, I can understand that. I’m a father, too.
“But I knew how good he was and I knew we needed to build this club around him. He’s got a good family. They just needed reassurances that we were going to take care of him and that he would get a shot.”
“I didn’t think there would be an issue because I knew how Benji was thinking and how impressed he was at training. I didn’t know he was going to pick him there in the first game. There was never any doubt in my mind before a ball was kicked, or Benji’s, that he was going to be a starting six for this club. We gave him those reassurances, and we’ve kept our word.”
Galvin still has another two years to run on his contract at the Tigers after this season and, in the space of just three games, has put himself in prime position to secure the No.6 jersey as the long-term halves partner of Jarome Luai.
Marshall and apprentice: The Wests Tigers coach and his rookie playmaker Lachlan Galvin.CREDIT:RHETT WYMAN
Galvin is on a minimum wage contract in 2024 ($150,000), with his deal to increase to about $250,000 next year and $350,000 in 2026. His form over the opening few weeks suggests the Tigers may have to revisit that deal over the next 12 months.
Richardson believes Galvin’s retention will be as pivotal to the Tigers as John Sutton’s was to South Sydney during his time at the Rabbitohs, especially considering his family’s ties to the south-west of Sydney.
“I looked through the tapes of him before I came and I knew we had something special,” Richardson said. “He’s the John Sutton of Shane Richardson’s early days at Souths. There’s no way in the world he’s ever going anywhere.
“I say he’s like John Sutton because if we didn’t sign him at Souths when we did, we were in real trouble. We wouldn’t have been able to keep a lot of juniors at the club. I see Lachie the same way. I don’t see us losing Lachie.
Former Souths boss Shane Richardson and John Sutton.CREDIT:CHRISTOPHER PEARCE
“His dad and mum are steeped in the area. His dad is the greenkeeper at the golf course at Camden Lakes. They were concerned because we brought all these players to the club, but he trained the house down, didn’t drop his lip and has won everybody over because of his attitude. He’s got that position because he’s the best man for the job at the moment.”
After years struggling to find a halves combination, the Tigers now have a range of options at their disposal.
Jayden Sullivan, who joined the club from the Dragons in the off season, will replace the suspended Galvin at five-eighth this week and is contracted until the end of 2027 on a deal that increases to $600,000 in the final year.
According to sources who requested anonymity in order to speak freely, Sullivan’s his future at the Tigers is uncertain – but clubs are expected to baulk at his price tag, complicating matters if the Tigers intend on releasing him at the end of the season.
Halfback Sezer is on a deal worth just shy of $300,000 with a mutual option with the club for next season worth similar value.
Fainu, who joined the club on the recommendation of former recruitment manager Scott Fulton, will make his NRL debut off the bench this weekend. His four-year deal is worth $2.1 million.
Luai will join the club next year on a five-year deal worth close to $6 million, while injured five-eighth Adam Doueihi has also opened discussions with the club about a potential extension ahead of his July return from his third ACL rupture.
“I’d rather be in our position than some other clubs who are still trying to find a spine,” Richardson said.
“We’ve got a spine for the next 10 years. We’re not in a bad spot. We might have a bit too many but we’ll worry about that when it all settles down.”
