Lachlan Galvin has spoken for the first time since joining the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, addressing the controversy surrounding his mid-season move.
The 19-year-old has been at the centre of NRL headlines since turning down a five-year, $6 million contract extension from the Wests Tigers.
Now locked in at Belmore on a three-and-a-half-year deal worth around $750,000 a season, Galvin looked relaxed in front of the cameras – singing his praises for his new club while (not so) subtly hinting at the issues he left behind at the Tigers.
“I just think [coach Cameron Ciraldo] is a real leader,” Galvin said in an interview published by the Bulldogs.
“I think he is driving standards here that are pretty cool and something that I obviously want to be a part of. So getting to know him more and more as the season goes on and the next three years that I’m here is going to be pretty cool.”
“I can’t wait to be having conversations in his office — hopefully good ones. I can’t wait.”
Galvin’s remarks come just two months after he refused to extend his stay at the Tigers, citing concerns about his development under head coach Benji Marshall. The fallout was swift and messy, with the club locked in a tense game of cat-and-mouse with Galvin’s manager, Isaac Moses.
The young half was dropped to reserve grade amid simmering tensions behind the scenes, and his camp later sent a legal letter to the Tigers over bullying claims.
In an interview with NRL journalist Danny Weidler on Channel Nine on Monday, Galvin addressed questions about his decision-making process and the backlash that followed.
When asked if his manager influenced his choice to leave, Galvin made it clear the move was entirely his own.
“This whole thing was my decision. I told Issac what I wanted and he says ‘yes,’ and that’s basically it.”
“I’ve ran this thing, I’ve backed myself and I’m a pretty confident kid in that way. I’ve chose what I wanted and obviously we’ve got all this backlash from it, and I’ll take that on the chin because it’s something I’ve driven,” he said.
While the Tigers have denied any wrongdoing, Galvin’s body language in the Bulldogs media release suggests the move has been a breath of fresh air.
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