Despite suffering a heavy defeat against the Canberra Raiders last week and enduring the ignominy of consecutive wooden spoons, the Wests Tigers found a silver lining in their Round 2 clash.
Making his NRL debut, five-eighth Lachlan Galvin demonstrated that he could be a pivotal figure in the club’s future and potentially resolve the long-standing issues in their halves that have plagued them for the past decade.
Despite his youth, Lachlan Galvin joins a prestigious list of players at the Wests Tigers who were called up to the NRL side at his age, including legends like Robbie Farah, Benji Marshall, James Tedesco, and Chris Lawrence.
The club has seen a revolving door of 18 players in the halves in their quest to make the finals for the first time since 2011, with no success. Previous players in the halves for the Tigers include Luke Brooks, Mitchell Moses, Will Smith, Brandon Wakeham, Jackson Hastings, Jock Madden, Billy Walters, Moses Mbye, Josh Reynolds, Tyson Gamble, Pita Godinet, Jack Littlejohn, Braith Anasta, Tom Humble, Curtis Sironen, Adam Doueihi, Starford To’a, and Daine Laurie.
In an effort to revamp the roster during the “Benji Marshall Era,” the Tigers made significant moves, including signing Jayden Sullivan from the Dragons, Latu Fainu from the Sea Eagles, bringing back Aidan Sezer from Leeds Rhinos, and promoting Lachlan Galvin to the Top 30 roster.
However, one player has emerged as a standout among them. Initially predicted to be the fourth-choice half for 2024, Galvin’s impressive performances during pre-season training earned him the starting five-eighth role.
Additionally, he has successfully transitioned from playing in the halves to the second row, a position he occupied just two years ago in the Under-17s Western Suburbs Magpies squad.
Galvin, who is only 18 years old, joined the Wests Tigers at the beginning of the season on a three-year contract. His recruitment was based on his exceptional junior career, which included earning Australian Schoolboys honors and winning the 2023 Peter Sterling Medal, awarded to the best player in the NRL Schoolboy Cup.
In an interview earlier in the year, Galvin revealed that he was initially part of the Parramatta Eels junior system before being informed that he was no longer required at the club – a decision that the Eels may now regret.
“I started at Parra. As a junior, I played…over in the Parra comp and then went through the junior rep teams at Parra, and then I made Harold Matthews,” Galvin shared with Zero Tackle.
“I wasn’t really getting game time, and they kind of told me that there probably wouldn’t be a spot here for you in the long-term.
“So I thought, alright. It probably helped me in a way, like it made me train harder. Then, I thought- I lived over in Campbelltown – so I’ll have a go at Wests.
“I went to Wests, and then in my second year of Harold Mats, we won it and then just been going up since then.”
Under contract until the conclusion of the 2026 season, Galvin was instrumental in guiding Westfields Sports High School to victory in the National Schoolboys Cup last year, contributing four try assists and earning the prestigious Peter Sterling Medal. In the final, Westfields defeated Palm Beach Currumbin 38-4.
Galvin is recognized for his exceptional kicking skills, creativity with the ball, and high football intelligence. In the opening match of the season, he set up the team’s first try, made 22 tackles, and ran an impressive 146 meters from the halves.
Galvin holds the distinction of being the youngest halves player to debut for the Wests Tigers since Benji Marshall in 2003, edging out Luke Brooks by a single day in terms of age at debut.
Fans and observers have drawn parallels between Galvin and Marshall, with many hoping that Galvin can emulate his coach by leading the team to an NRL Grand Final Premiership victory. There are also aspirations for Galvin to become a stalwart of the Tigers, making over 250 appearances for the club in their iconic black and orange colors.
