Footy bullying legal drama explodes as two more players take action against NRL club - and the game's most controversial player agent hires top barrister
Bullying allegations aimed at the Wests Tigers are set to intensify amid reports two players in the team's top 30 NRL squad are set to launch legal action against the embattled club.
It comes as Lachlan Galvin's player manager Isaac Moses has hired leading barrister Arthur Moses SC to advise the five-eighth in proceedings following recent bombshell allegations of bullying and an unsafe workplace.
Arthur Moses - who previously represented Dragons star Jack de Belin in his legal stoush against the NRL following his sexual assault case where he was found not guilty - dates former NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian.
Galvin, 19, has attracted headlines after rejecting a $5.5million, six-year contract extension with the Tigers.
On Sunday the young gun played NSW Cup for the Western Suburbs Magpies after he was dropped by Marshall from first grade.
It is understood Galvin doesn't believe he can evolve his game under Marshall, who famously guided the Tigers to a NRL premiership in 2005 playing five-eighth - the same position as the youngster.
Galvin has attracted headlines after rejecting a $5.5million, six-year contract extension with the Tigers (pictured, playing in the NSW Cup for the Western Suburbs Magpies on Easter Monday after he was dropped from first grade)
On Triple M Radio over the weekend, ex-Tigers star Aaron Woods revealed Galvin was upset with the treatment of some of his friends and teammates, including Justin Matamua and Brendon Tumeth.
Matamua and Tumeth are both top-30 contracted players at Concord - but bizarrely have been playing in the third-tier Ron Massey Cup and fourth-tier Sydney Shield respectively this season.
Tumeth is also managed by Isaac Moses.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the Rugby League Players Association (RLPA) will approach the Tigers for clarification as to why Matamua and Tumeth have been demoted beyond NSW Cup level.
It comes as Marshall denied Galvin has been a victim of bullying, despite blunt social media posts from Jarome Luai and Sunia Turuva on Instagram suggesting the teen is motivated by money.
'I don't think he's being bullied by the other players,' Marshall said.
'We don't stand for bullying, and I spoke to the team about it - that's not us.
'We (coaching staff) are not bullies, our players are not bullies. They had an emotional reaction... but it's not bullying.'
Both Luai and Turuva departed Penrith after premiership success to take up lucrative multi-year offers with the Tigers.
Meanwhile, it is understood Galvin had the club's blessing when he did not attend the NRL game between the Tigers and Parramatta at CommBank Stadium on Easter Monday as Marshall's side slumped to a 38-22 loss.
The defeat without Galvin will only intensify questions about whether the club can continue to keep the former schoolboy prodigy languishing in reserve grade, or if they would be better off cutting ties immediately.
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