Wests Tigers star also managed by controversial agent Isaac Moses weighs in on his future at the club
Under contract until the end of 2027, Tigers fans feared he may leave as he shares the same agent as Galvin - Isaac Moses.
But the Fijian international, 23, addressed rumours he wants to leave.
'I'm happy at this club - I don't really want to talk about that stuff,' Bula told reporters this week.
'I don't really listen to the outside noise. They love you when you're up, they bash you when you're down - but I don't really listen to that stuff.
'I listen to the people that have earned the right to say their opinion to me.'
Under contract until the end of 2027, Tigers fans feared Bula (pictured, with his wife Aaliyah) may leave as he shares the same agent as Lachlan Galvin - Isaac Moses
Bula went onto hail the tenacity of Galvin, who has endured a testing few weeks after rejecting the club's $5million, multi-year offer.
'I love the kid - we've got a good relationship and it's one I'll cherish forever,' he said.
'Lachie showed when he played that (Sharks) game how resilient he is.'
Last month, Bula revealed he won't ever play Origin for Queensland - despite attending high school on the Gold Coast at famed rugby league nursery Keebra Park State High School.
Bula was born in Auckland and moved to the Glitter Strip as a teenager, making him eligible for the Maroons.
But he poured cold water on any chance of him playing alongside the likes of Cameron Munster and Harry Grant against the Blues.
'I don't claim to be one, I don't want to play for Queensland,' he said.
'My family are Koori and from NSW – they are from around the Coffs Harbour and Macksville areas – and I've always gone for NSW.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scotsman
5 hours ago
- Scotsman
Fiji warning for Scotland - and it's not what you think
More to the islanders' game than virtuoso skill - but they've got that too Sign up to our Rugby Union newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Fiji scored a freewheeling wonder try in their narrow defeat by Australia on Sunday but Scotland have been warned that there is a lot more to the islanders' game than the kind of brilliance shown by Jiuta Wainiqolo as he set up Lekima Tagitagivalu. Stereotypes can be hard to shake off and the traditional Fijian sevens strengths of broken field running and brilliant offloading were to the fore against the Wallabies who squeezed home 21-18 thanks to captain Harry Wilson's try one minute from time. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad But set-piece power is also now a key pillar of Fiji's game and Scotland will need to be on point in this area this Saturday when the teams meet in Suva. Fiji ran Australia close before losing out to a late, late try. | Getty Images 'I think their physicality and set-piece-wise, they're definitely stronger than what they've been in recent years and they take pride in that and if you give them front foot at scrum time, they'll put you under pressure,' said Pieter de Villiers, the Scotland scrum coach. 'They are big, strong men that can travel well out of the blocks in terms of scrum set or speed. If you give them that, you're going to be in for a long afternoon so it's important to start well and have a good process early on to take the scrum game to them.' De Villiers was largely satisfied with the way Scotland performed in the 29-26 win over the Maori All Blacks in their tour opener in Whangarei on Saturday. The scrum was an important testing ground given the Scots have gone on tour without first-choice props Zander Fagerson and Pierre Schoeman. In their absence, Fin Richardson and Nathan McBeth stepped up. Scotland have relied heavily on tighthead Fagerson in particular and de Villiers knows it is a position in which they must develop more strength in depth Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Maturity and growth 'It's always the issue of game time for props, specifically in terms of their maturity and their growth,' said the former France prop. 'They did well against a strong Maori side who I thought had improved scrum-wise since their game against Japan where they got caught slightly high and slightly slow. They've fixed a couple of things in their scrum and they were stronger against us but I thought we managed that well. And then there was one or two technical bits that we spoke about during the game with the players and fixed up quite well during the game, so that's comforting to see and that's exactly what we need in terms of growing our depth.' Scotland's Marshall Sykes in the thick of the action against the Maori All Blacks in Whangarei. | SNS Group / SRU 'Only matches will give you that experience. I think training is obviously great but it isn't the same as matches because of the fatigue generated due to general play and other activities on the pitch.' It was Richardson's first time playing for Scotland and de Villiers was largely satisfied with the Glasgow Warriors tighthead. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'I thought he came through it very, very well,' said the scrum coach. 'We worked on a few things technically and there were a few big scrum weeks training wise and there was a lot of growth session after session. I thought Fin did very well there on the day, yes definitely.'
Daily Mail
6 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Almost half a million footy fans lose their minds as one of the AFL's brightest young stars reveals his surprising hidden talent
Footy fans have been losing their minds over Sam Lalor's music skills, with the Tigers ' No 1 draft pick taking to TikTok this week to showcase his incredible musical skills. It comes as the Tigers star might need surgery after re-injuring his left hamstring just moments into his return on Saturday against Geelong. The Tigers later issued a statement on Monday to confirm that his season was over. But prior to his side's clash against the Cats, the 18-year-old dropped a video of himself performing a cover of 'Madeline', by US singer Zach Bryan on social media. The youngster stunned, as he showcased his flawless vocals while playing an acoustic guitar. It is the first video the footy star has published on his Tik Tok channel, and garnered over 52,000 likes on the clip, while the clip has been played over 561,000 times. 'This is dope,' Collingwood star Isaac Quaynor commented, while others were left shocked by his hidden talent. 'Woah, Sam Lalor can sing,' wrote another TikTok user. 'Sam you're actually amazing,' another said. It comes after Adelaide star Izak Rankine had dazzled footy fans by showing off his vocals, belting out Maroon 5's 'She Will be Loved' during a live television performance ahead of Gather Round in April, and some fans demanded the Tiger's star and the Crows midfielder. One added: 'Just waiting on a Sam Lalor x Izak Rankine Collab.' Iconic social media duo Shepmates commented: 'What can't this man do.' Lalor has succumbed to a hamstring injury for the third time, previously injuring it before he was drafted last year and then in the May Dreamtime at the 'G match against Essendon. The Tigers were cautious, holding him back for a week, but he limped off GMHBA Stadium after tackling Tom Atkins early in the first quarter. Footy fans took to the comments to laud the young Richmond star on his incredible talent 'We are all devastated for the young man, and I am sure our fans are too,' Richmond high-performance manager Ben Serpell said. 'The injury mechanism here for Sam this time was very different to his original injury mechanism. 'He sustained the injury in a tackle. I think anyone who throws their body at the game as he did, and credit to him for doing that, is going to put their body at some risk irrespective of their injury history.' Given Lalor's terrible injury history, he might undergo surgery on the hamstring. 'We are a bit concerned about the integrity of the hamstring structure,' Serpell said. 'As part of that we will consult a few surgeons over the next little while to see if there is some surgical intervention available for us.' Elsewhere, Nik Cox's concussion history has also ended his AFL season while two other Bombers will need surgery, with injury-plagued Zach Reid's season cut short again due to last week's hamstring injury. Jye Caldwell suffered a syndesmosis injury in Saturday's loss to Gold Coast and will be out indefinitely as he goes under the knife. Sydney also received bad news on Monday, with forward Joel Amartey likely out for the rest of the season with a high-grade adductor strain, and Tom Papley sidelined for two to three weeks with a hamstring injury. Adelaide forward Josh Rachele has avoided ligament damage, but he will still need knee surgery after landing awkwardly in Sunday's win over Melbourne. The Crows are unsure when he will return. The AFL's concussion panel, which last month recommended West Coast defender Jeremy McGovern should retire on medical grounds, gave Cox hope he will resume his playing career. While Cox will not play this year due to his concussion problems, the panel gave him a pathway to make an AFL comeback after meeting him last month. Cox is, though, upbeat about his future after being told by the concussion panel he can resume his AFL career. 'While I'm disappointed that I won't return to the field for the remainder of the 2025 season, this time away from the game will be used to focus fully on my health, recovery, and building the strongest possible foundation heading into pre-season,' Cox said. 'I've learned a lot about myself over the past few months, and I'm more motivated than ever to get back to doing what I love. 'My focus now is on continuing to work closely with specialists and the club to make sure I'm in the best place physically and mentally to return to football.' The Swans, who beat Fremantle on Sunday, confirmed their injury news in a brief statement on Monday night, saying Amartey would be out for eight to 12 weeks. With seven home-and-away rounds left before the pre-finals bye, Amartey could be fit in time for the start of September, but it would take a remarkable run by Sydney to reach the play-offs.
Scotsman
a day ago
- Scotsman
Scotland's Pacific roadshow heads to Fiji - and plenty of respect is granted
Townsend knows what to expect in Suva Sign up to our Rugby Union newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Scotland are returning to Fiji for the first time in eight years and the aim is to embrace fully the local culture in a country where rugby is a powerful force for good. The two nations will meet in the capital, Suva, this weekend but, before that, Gregor Townsend expects his squad to immerse themselves in the community. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It's the second game of Scotland's Pacific tour and they made a winning start in New Zealand on Saturday with a hard-fought 29-26 victory over the Māori All Blacks. Fiji, meanwhile, were unlucky to lose 21-18 to Australia in Newcastle, New South Wales, as Wallabies captain Harry Wilson scored the winning try a minute from time. Scotland's Stafford McDowall (R) and Maori All Black's Daniel Rona (L) in action. | SNS Group / SRU Townsend's squad travelled to Fiji on Sunday and the head coach is relishing a return to the island nation. Scotland lost 27-22 on their last visit in 2017 and this Saturday's game is likely to be just as tough a test against opponents ranked ninth in the world, two place below the Scots. 'It will be a new experience for the majority of [the squad],' said Townsend. 'There was a couple that were there eight years ago but for the majority it will be the first time they've gone to Fiji and it's a very friendly culture. 'Fijian people are very welcoming and then as rugby players to see people playing in fields, to see the knowledge they have for the game and the joy they'll have seeing us being over there taking on their team, will be brilliant. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Fiji is a unique place for Scotland 'We really want to get out into the community and go to schools and maybe do some coaching sessions with the kids. It is a unique place, there's a huge rugby culture in New Zealand but Fiji is different. They just love the sport so much and they're obviously very skilful because they've played it since a young age and continue to play sevens and fifteens all the way through to Test level.' While sevens has been the traditional bedrock of the game in Fiji, the national side is enjoying a fruitful spell in 15-a-sides. They reached the quarter-finals of the last Rugby World Cup, beating Australia to progress. They were edged out by England in the last eight but Steve Borthwick's side needed a late penalty and drop goal from Owen Farrell to win 30-24 in Marseille. Fiji lost 57-17 at Murrayfield in November but they were without many of their frontline players and will be a very different proposition at home. Their performance on Sunday, in which they scored a first-half try through debutant Salesi Rayasi and a brilliant second-half score created by Jiuta Wainiqolo and finished by Lekima Tagitagivalu, saw them fall just short of a first win over the Wallabies in Australia since 1954. Arron Reed was among the try-scorers against Maori. | SNS Group / SRU The heat and humidity are also likely to pose problems for the Scots. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Fiji is mid-20s to 30 degrees,' said Josh Bayliss, the Scotland flanker who was one of the stand-out performers in the win over the Māori. 'So, another challenge for us. But I think everyone's really excited to go over there and rip into another Test week and then see what we can do next weekend. 'It's going to be probably another game where we maybe go to the set-piece to try and get a foothold in the game and then see where we go from there.' Backs' speed so vital for Scotland The tactics in Whangārei were more about utilising the pace of the backline, and the Māori struggled to cope with the little kicks in behind, particularly in the first half when Scotland scored three tries through Harry Paterson, Arron Reed and George Horne, all converted by Adam Hastings who also added a penalty. The hosts had taken the lead through Sam Nock and Isaia Walker-Leawere scored a second try but the Scots led 24-12 at the break and moved further ahead early in the second half after Horne finished off a brilliant move. But the Māori came back strongly and converted tries from Kurt Eklund and Gideon Wrampling brought them to within three points of the Scots who had to withstand a late barrage as the game continued into the 87th minute. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Townsend was pleased with the defensive effort and felt his leaders - skipper Stafford McDowall and vice-captains Bayliss and Horne - stood up when it mattered most. Scotland beat Fiji at Murrayfield last autumn. | SNS Group / SRU 'I think when you look at our captains and vice captains, Stafford was excellent in a leadership role,' said the coach. 'He carried well, defended well, and I thought Josh Bayliss was outstanding. 'George Horne too. George had two great finishes for tries but equally impressive was his high-end box kicking and we were getting the ball back, with Arron Reed in particular getting up there. 'There was a lot of control about our game. We are having more of a focus on pressurising teams with our kicking game and our set-piece on this tour, and we showed that we can do that against a really dangerous outfit.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad For Bayliss, Saturday's game against Fiji will be the chance to continue a strong end to a season which was disrupted by injury. The Bath back-row forward impressed for Scotland during the autumn series but missed the Six Nations due to a groin issue. He returned for his club for the domestic run-in and came off the bench as Bath beat Leicester Tigers in the Premiership final at Twickenham. Memories of 2017 won't be too far from the surface as Scotland look to win in Suva before returning to New Zealand to face Samoa in Auckland in the third and final tour match.
