Lachlan Galvin set for financial loss as two possible NRL moves emerge

Wests Tigers young gun Lachlan Galvin looks to be walking away from millions of dollars as rival NRL clubs circle, with the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs and Parramatta Eels reportedly preparing to table offers well below what the Tigers had on the table.

The 18-year-old play maker was granted permission this week to negotiate with other clubs, in the latest twist in the ongoing contract saga.

According to The Sydney Morning Herald, both Canterbury and Parramatta are locked into the hunt for Galvin’s signature, with deals offered around the $750,000 per season mark.

Galvin had previously been offered a five-year extension by the Tigers worth close to $6 million – approximately $1.2 million annually – but he and his controversial manager Isaac Moses turned it down – sighting they see a better future for the up-and-coming play maker without the guidance and mentorship of one of the best five-eighths to ever play the game in Benji Marshall.

Galvin previously said in a statement: “I just feel that as I move into an important period of my development as a half, that I continue to build my game at a different club.”

The deal would have made Galvin the richest Tigers junior in the history of the club – who were banking on a long-term build strategy with the junior – after the Western Sydney club recently lured across Penrith’s four-time premiership play maker Jarome Luai.

If Galvin signs a deal elsewhere, he stands to earn roughly $450,000 less per season, which means he could potentially be missing out on up to $2 million over the next few years.

The release is apparently conditional on a still-to-be-finalised transfer fee reported to be around $165,000 and includes a further clause of the withdrawal or resolution of a legal complaint involving allegations of bullying within the club, says Fox Sports.

The Wests Tigers chief executive officer Shane Richardson is still yet to comment on the matter publicly.

Richardson’s position has shifted sharply since the club’s March 2024 statement, which firmly denied any possibility of an early release.

“The club has no intention of releasing Lachlan from his contract, and he has not requested this,” he had stated at the time. “The club is disappointed, but we move on.”

Now, as the Tigers want to cut loose of the Galvin drama, it’s seems just a matter of time until find out if the young gun will soon be wearing the gold and blue of Parramatta or the blue and white of the Bulldogs.