6 days ago
Benji Marshall speaks out after eye-opening vision of Lachie Galvin at Bulldogs HQ
Wests Tigers coach Benji Marshall has denied suggestions the club is "disappointed" about losing Lachie Galvin, as the first footage emerged of the teenage playmaker at Bulldogs training on Friday. Amateur vision captured the 19-year-old decked out in Canterbury gear at the Bulldogs' Belmore headquaters, despite the fact his high-profile switch from the Tigers has yet to be officially confirmed.
The deal is expected to be rubber-stamped this week after the Dogs reportedly agreed to pay a $175,000 release fee to secure the five-eighth's services immediately. It's understood the 19-year-old has put pen to paper on a contract with the Dogs worth $750,000 per-season that will keep him at the club until at least the end of 2028.
reports that the delay in finalising the Galvin deal has centred around "a non-disparagement clause" that the Tigers wanted signed, before officially granting his release. It's essentially a legal move that prevents Galvin from discussing his exit from the Tigers, following previous reports the 19-year-old was considering legal action against the club over accusations of bullying.
The Bulldogs have reportedly agreed to the clause in what appears to be the final step towards making the move official after Galvin rejected a $5 million contract extension with the Tigers last month. Galvin's presence at Bulldogs HQ comes after he was excused from Wests Tigers training, having been left out Marshall's squad for Saturday's round 13 clash in Townsville against the Cowboys.
Galvin already training with the Bulldogs even though no official release made public by the Tigers and no official announcement from the Bulldogs
— Rob Bechara (@BecharaRob) May 30, 2025
Marshall did his best to sidestep questions around Galvin when asked about his former playmaker during Friday's press conference. The Tigers coach tried to put a positive spin on the situation, despite the fact they've lost one of brightest young talents in the game, with Marshall and the team eager to move on from the ongoing soap opera.
"I guess everyone's probably a little bit sick of talking about it and it being reported," Marshall said. "But we're just focused on the game. I know it's a cliched thing to say, but we have to be. It's been a great week at training.
"Everyone's looking forward to just playing. We had a week off last week with the bye. The energy around the place has been really good, really positive." The fact the Tigers were willing to offer the 19-year-old such a lucrative deal proves he was viewed as the future of the club and a player to build the team around.
But Marshall remained bullish when asked if the Tigers were disappointed to lose the prodigious talent, whom he handed an NRL debut to last year. "I don't know if disappointment's the word," Marshall said. "We like the players we've got, we love the squad we've got, we're excited about some of the young players coming through and for us.
"We want to try and make a mark on the competition this year. The squad we've got, we're confident we can do that." Galvin's presence at Bulldogs training would appear to be the end of an ugly saga that saw him targeted in social media posts from teammates Jarome Luai and Sunia Turuva, prompting the legal threat from the teenager's camp.
Marshall has turned to another 19-year-old in Heath Mason to take Galvin's spot at five-eighth alongside Luai for the clash against the Cowboys. Mason began the season at fullback in the absence of Jahream Bula but earns his first NRL start in the halves. And he's been given a simple game plan from the Tigers coach.
"We just need our halves to do their job and control the field position," Marshall said. "We've seen some great glimpses of play from some of our players this year, and we're coming up against a pretty good Cowboys team that have got a lot of great attacking players."
with AAP
