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News.com.au
2 hours ago
- Business
- News.com.au
Lachlan Galvin spills on Phil Gould saga as he reveals true motives for leaving Wests Tigers
Lachlan Galvin has denied meeting Bulldogs supremo Phil Gould before agreeing to join the club, as he opened up about the true motives behind his move to Belmore. The 19-year-old's contract saga has dominated the rugby league news cycle for several weeks, and it all came to a head when he signed with the Bulldogs on around $750,000 a season, after turning down a monster $6 million contract extension offer from the Tigers. The Bulldogs' general manager of football Gould had batted his eyelids at Galvin for months, yet any time his club's interest was brought up he in no uncertain terms shut down any talks of bringing the teenager to the club. So after he was confirmed as the Bulldogs' latest signing, on 100% Footy last week, Gould was grilled by reporter Michael Chammas, with the general manager insisting it was completed without his input and he in fact had never even met the teen phenom. 'I haven't met Lachlan Galvin. What I do know is there is not another CEO, not another general manager or recruitment manager that has to sit on a panel and answer these questions,' a frustrated Gould said. Since then many have speculated if Gould was telling the truth, due to the fact he seemingly deliberately misled the public about the club's interest in the young playmaker. But Galvin has now put the record straight on Gould's role. 'I never met Phil Gould (during the contract talks). I had a talk with (coach) Cameron Ciraldo, Liam Ayoub (Bulldogs recruitment officer), Luke Vella (Bulldogs assistant coach), myself, Adam (Brahme), (manager) Isaac (Moses) and my dad (James),' Galvin told 100% Footy on Monday night. 'They were the only people in the room that we spoke to. I actually met Phil at training (last Saturday), that was honestly for the first time. 'He came up to me and it was good to meet him. I was pretty nervous, to be honest. He said he was excited for me to be at the club. 'He asked how I was going after a big couple of months. He showed me around the club a bit and there was pretty much no footy talk. It was more about how I was and my family.'' Lachlan Galvin reveals why he chose the Bulldogs Galvin also revealed that a main factor in his decision to join the Bulldogs was a belief Ciraldo could get the best out of him. The teenager says he doesn't care which position Ciraldo wants to play him and is prepared to prove himself in reserve grade or off the bench before taking a spot in the starting side. 'I've already spoken to Ciro about that, we've had long talks about reserve grade and coming off the bench,' he said. 'I'm all for it, it's wherever is best for the team.' Galvin also used the opportunity to shut down suggestions his agent Moses was behind his decision to leave the Tigers. Galvin's management, led by Moses, reportedly had no interest in listening to the Tigers' offer for their client and informed the club that he had no faith in Marshall's coaching ability, believing he didn't have the tools to develop Galvin into a star of the game. However, Galvin said Moses didn't pressure him in any way and the decision to leave was solely his, with Moses doing nothing more than executing his wishes. 'This whole thing was my decision,' Galvin insisted. 'I told Isaac what I wanted and he said 'yes' and that's basically it. I've run this thing, I've backed myself. I'm a pretty confident kid in that way, I've chosen what I wanted. 'Obviously we've got all this backlash from it and I'll take that on the chin. I can say wholeheartedly this was all driven by me.' Galvin is expected to make his Canterbury debut against the team he snubbed, the Eels, in Monday's King's Birthday clash.
News.com.au
4 days ago
- Politics
- News.com.au
‘Better start writing': Premiers place tourism ad bet on State of Origin series
The Queensland Premier could soon be filmed in budgie smugglers on Bondi Beach after NSW dominated game one of State of Origin. The Queensland and NSW Premiers have drawn up a wager on the annual men's best-of-three rugby league showdown. 'The losing premier will have to record a new tourism ad for the winning state,' NSW Premier Chris Minns said on social media on Friday morning. 'I'm already one up – but the stakes are certainly high. 'Better start writing,' Mr Minns' said, tagging the Queensland Premier's account. Despite missing four conversion kicks and taking their foot off the gas, NSW comfortably handled the Maroons in Brisbane on Wednesday night. The Blues are relatively short odds to claim the series in Perth on June 18. NSW's win in Brisbane marks the first time the Blues have won consecutive games at Suncorp Stadium. Blues fans are hoping the momentum will roll into a series victory. With his thick Queensland accent, the sight and sound of David Crisafulli in a NSW tourism ad would tickle pink many onlookers. A campaign featuring the photogenic Mr Minns would surely attract some tourism dollars to the Sunshine State. Mr Minns would have been able to embarrass his colleague had he placed a bet on the women's State of Origin. The NSW women took their series 2-1 despite Queensland fighting back hard for a consolation win on Thursday night.
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Shocking footage Channel Nine didn't show you proves exactly how bad the first State of Origin game was
NRL fans were left saying the same thing about the 2025 State of Origin Series opener on Wednesday night. Billed as one of the most hotly anticipated events of the rugby league season, this year's opening match between the Maroons and the Blues at the Suncorp stadium was a drab and dismal affair. While the Blues took a huge step closer to retaining the Shield with an 18-6 win over the Maroons, the game left a lot to be desired. Knock-ons, missed tackles and some underwhelming performances from some of Queensland 's biggest hitters, including Cameron Munster and Kalyn Ponga saw some question the quality of the match. Footy great Andrew Johns gave his take on the match after the game. 'It wasn't a genuine Origin game,' he said to Channel 9. QLDers, They just get origin. @9_Moley @BuzzRothfield #Origin — Gibbsy (@Gibbsy2707) May 28, 2025 'It didn't feel that way for whatever reason. It just didn't feel like the intensity and the physical side of an Origin game. 'For me, it was like a good club game.' While many fans took to social media to express their take on the match, others inside the Suncorp stadium voted with their feet. Footage, posted by @Gibbsy2707 on X, shows droves of fans exiting the terraces late into the second half of the match. Some appeared to be wearing Maroon jerseys, with Billy Slater's side underwhelming during the match. Fans had already questioned the coach over why he left Corey Horsburg out of his side for the match. The Maroon's forwards were outclassed by their counterparts, as the side went on to lose back-to-back matches at the Suncorp for the first time in 27 years. But speaking on the loss, Slater believes their defeat was down to a lack of discipline rather than their team cohesion or execution - despite missing a staggering 48 tackles. 'That's probably something for the review, and looking through the tape and, obviously sitting down with the group. At the end of the day it's got to come from the players,' he said reflecting on the game. 'I definitely don't think it's a personnel thing. I know what this team's capable of and that's why you can probably see I'm disappointed because they haven't played their best footy. 'I feel responsible to try and help them get there. So it's definitely not a personnel thing. 'They've had a great attitude as well. But to the discipline side of the game, the attitude wasn't good enough.' Payne Haas was clinical for the Blues while Nathan Cleary starred alongside his St George winger Zac Lomax, who crossed the whitewash for New South Wales' first try. Brian To'o, who was sent to the sin bin during the game, dotted down not long after before Lomax had his second. Queensland, meanwhile were almost kept scoreless in the first term, but for a late Valentine Holmes penalty. But fans on social media did not hold back when issuing their thoughts on the match. 'Yeah, I wouldn't be promoting this game. Absolutely horrible advertisement for the NRL,' one wrote on X. Unhappy footy fans deliver their reactions to this year's State of Origin opening match 'It was boring when Queensland were winning every year. Now it's worse. 'They need to reinvent this series somehow. 'It's losing its shine. Wouldn't know it's on in Brisbane if you didn't watch channel 9 this week. Nothing like it used to be,' another commented.
News.com.au
5 days ago
- General
- News.com.au
‘Embarrassing': Cameron Munster exposed as Queensland liability in Origin defeat
Cameron Munster can thank the rugby league gods Daly Cherry-Evans is a much more obvious lightning rod for criticism after Queensland were outclassed in Wednesday night's State of Origin series opener. There have been suggestions Cherry-Evans, 36, may have already played his final game in the Origin arena after failing to trouble the NSW defensive line in the 18-6 defeat at Suncorp Stadium. The Queensland halves pairing came under fire after the defeat with Maroons legend Shane Webcke admitting he was worried 'the magic wasn't there'. FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every game of every round in the 2025 NRL Telstra Premiership, LIVE in 4K with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer. Both playmakers showed glimpses of the classy players they have previously been at Origin level, but Cherry-Evans' failure to unlock the NSW left edge defence was particularly damning. It was telling for Cherry-Evans that the Maroons' attack looked sharper and more direct when Cowboys playmaker Tom Dearden entered the game in the second half. However, NSW Origin cult hero Josh Reynolds has now pointed out Munster and the Maroons' left edge was just as blunt in attack on the other side of the field. Reynolds told Sky Sports radio on Thursday morning it appeared Queensland continued to attack down Cherry-Evans' side of the field because the Maroons had identified the defensive gap between Mitchell Moses and Latrell Mitchell was a potential weakness. He said the Blues' defence on both edges was 'exceptional'. 'I spoke about Critter (centre Stephen Crichton) before. He was brilliant,' Reynolds said. 'Latrell (Mitchell) was the same. You could tell that Queensland were going after the Moses-Latrell combination. That's the edge they were going for because Critter was eating them alive. 'Every time they went there it was half embarrassing for them. They were like, 'We can't get around this guy'. I'll be looking for them to go back there in Game 2, but even that was hard because big bad Trell was on.' Reynolds put heat on the Maroons' right edge — made up of Reuben Cotter, Munster, Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow and Valentine Holmes — by saying Crichton's defensive dominance had forced Queensland to funnel their attack through Cherry-Evans' side of the field. The former Bulldogs five-eighth described Crichton as the greatest defensive centre he has ever seen — making an apology to Blues great and former teammate Josh Morris in the process. There is already pressure on Queensland coach Billy Slater to make changes at the selection table — but his other headache is needing a tactical shift to combat Crichton. The Bulldogs captain was also a handful with the ball, setting up a try for Zac Lomax where he split the defensive line and forced Tabuai-Fidow to make an attempted tackle instead of trusting his inside defenders to stop Crichton from scoring. Crichton finished with 67 run metres, two tackle busts, a linebreak assist, a try assist and 15 tackles. Blues coach Laurie Daley praised Crichton for his performance, coming off a disrupted training program as a result of a corked thigh. 'Critter was fantastic,' Daley said. 'And I think the word that they said to me, 'Critter's right to go because he said, they asked him this morning, how was he? And he said he was mad, so that's obviously good.' Crichton will be living in Munster's head rent free heading into Game 2 in Perth on June 18. However, it is Cherry-Evans who is feeling the heat even more so. A forward pass late in the game, as the home team tried to muster a final charge, was indicative of a battling night for the veteran No. 7. NSW great Andrew Johns called for Cherry-Evans to be axed for game two and replaced by Tom Dearden, who looms as the playmaker in waiting and came off the bench in Brisbane on Wednesday night. But Dearden wasn't prepared to throw his captain under the buss and called the criticism 'unfair', instead pointing the finger at failures across the team. 'It's unfair criticism like that,' he said on Thursday. 'Daley's our captain, and he's at half back, and he doesn't deserve that because last night as a team, we didn't get our discipline right, and that puts you under pressure.' Former Maroons skipper Cameron Smith said the Queensland key position players, including Cherry-Evans, 'couldn't get the job done' and selection decisions would be crucial to level the series. 'I think (coach Billy Slater) will have that discussion with his selection panel and he'll go through this game thoroughly,' Smith told Channel 9. 'There's no doubt that the key position players of Queensland lacked a bit of cohesion tonight.' Dearden said the Maroons would 'get back to work' before the second game in Perth. 'And work out the areas where we went wrong, where we can get better, and then turn it around for game two and for game three,' he said. Slater said he would look at every element of the game, including the lead-in, adamant there was 'so much more' in his squad. 'Probably some decisions … about the discipline side of the game (have to be better),' Slater said. 'And I'll look at my preparation as well. I'm not out of this. It's not just the players, it's everyone, and we'll all look at ourselves. 'I know there's so much more in this footy team. 'It's a best of three. You've only got to win two games, and that's still alive.'
News.com.au
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
‘Worst game I've seen': Craig Bellamy's brutal NSW hit job on Harry Grant
The last time Craig Bellamy had anything official to do with State of Origin, he walked away a broken and beaten man. For all the magic he has conjured with the Storm, he just couldn't make his inferior NSW side rise to a level to match Mal Meninga's dynastic Maroons. He walked away after three series defeats between 2008 and 2010. FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every game of every round in the 2025 NRL Telstra Premiership, LIVE with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer. In his defence, God might not have been able to make that NSW side rise to a level capable of beating Queensland, so as good as he was, Bellamy probably didn't stand a chance. But there was one thing in particular which really bothered the supercoach: he hated conspiring against the guys he looked after every week. Cameron Smith, Billy Slater, Greg Inglis, Cooper Cronk. For maybe the only time in his coaching career, he never felt truly at ease. Fifteen days is a long time in rugby league, let alone 15 years. While he sat mostly stony faced and emotionless in the back of the NSW coaching box at Suncorp Stadium on Wednesday night (at least when the cameras caught him), Bellamy is on the cusp of scratching that Origin itch. It might not have been as headline-grabbing as Zac Lomax's aerial prowess, Latrell Mitchell barely leaving his fingerprints on a pass to set up Brian To'o, or Connor Watson's supreme strength to hurl the ball for Dylan Edwards' match sealer, but there was a theme to NSW's historic game one win: the hit job on Harry Grant. Make no mistake, this is Laurie Daley's NSW team. He deserves all the credit for this win, perhaps series defining, in a match which will never come near the annals of Origin classic. But when he pitched to the NSW Rugby League board to replace Michael Maguire at the end of last year, he came with a secret weapon: Bellamy's guarantee he would be his adviser. Everyone else applying was bringing a knife to a gun fight. On his Big Sports Breakfast program on Monday, Daley waded into an area he usually avoids. He was asked an innocent question about how the Blues expected Queensland to use interchange star Tom Dearden, and whether it would be in tandem with starting No. 9 Grant. He ever so slightly peeled back the curtains on the Bluesprint. 'I don't know how much Harry has done,' said Daley, referencing Grant's injury-interrupted preparation, which restricted him to just 55 minutes of game time in six weeks before Origin I. 'He'll be a little bit underdone. If he's making 50 to 60 tackles, he could be buggered.' That's the appeal of Origin: one week Bellamy is putting his Melbourne captain in cotton wool on his return from a hamstring complaint, the next he's part of a brains trust which put a moving target on arguably Queensland's most influential player. Of the tired and battered bodies which trudged from The Cauldron after game one, none looked more scarred than Grant. He kept throwing his body in front of giant NSW forwards, and by the time Queensland had the ball, the zip was out of his legs. They challenged him at marker in defence, arrowed at him when he was close to the ruck, and stood Payne Haas two passes wide when Grant was scouting wider in the Maroons line. By the time it got to 53 minutes, Queensland coach Slater had seen enough. He hooked Grant for Dearden, only sending him back into the game for the final five inconsequential minutes. Grant's numbers told a story: 43 tackles in just 59 minutes of field time. With a fuel tank lower than Peter Dutton's approval ratings, he ran the ball just five times for 23 metres. Job done. Like they did in last year's grand final when they strangled the life out of the Storm and Grant (after he scored the first try) by forcing him to make 59 tackles, Nathan Cleary and Isaah Yeo pulled the right strings containing Grant. Yeo was far more prevalent running the ball rather than distributing, a clear tactic to up Grant's workload. If Grant had played all 80 minutes of Origin I and kept making tackles at the same rate, he would have just about equalled his tally from last year's grand final. But numbers only tell part of the story. Watch NSW's three first-half tries. The first, Grant rushed Cleary on a last tackle play, presumedly in the hope of pressuring the kick, but all it did was force Cleary to chance his hand on the last, shovelling the ball to Haas and then immediately stepping around Grant to take him out of play. Cleary touched the ball a second time in the sequence before it finally landed in Lomax's hands for the opening try. Two minutes later, Reece Robson and Haas forced Grant into error as he fumbled the ball with a rare run near the halfway line. Next set, NSW scored through Brian To'o. Ceding momentum and field position, Grant's next telling contribution was one borne by frustration and fatigue. He tried to con referee Ashley Klein by sneakily toeing the ball out of Lomax's grasp as he attempted to play it. Penalty. Before Queensland could touch the ball again, Lomax had his second. 'That was probably the worst game I've seen Harry play,' Andrew Johns said on Channel 9 post game. On Thursday, Bellamy will have Grant and the rest of his Queensland Storm disciples back at the club as they prepare for Saturday's game on the Gold Coast. It will be like Wednesday night never happened. But after a long Origin hiatus, Bellamy is back helping Daley and the Blues – and it came with an almighty mission on one of his own.
