Aidan Sezer insists that teenager Lachlan Galvin is capable of standing on his own as they both prepare to take on the roles of starting halves for the Wests Tigers.
Sezer is set to start at halfback for the Tigers against Cronulla on Saturday at Leichhardt, following a hamstring issue that saw him coming off the bench last week.
Having been a teenage standout himself at Canterbury in the under-20s team of the year, Sezer has joined the Tigers to offer leadership and expertise.
However, he doesn’t believe this will involve needing to shield Galvin from pressure, especially considering the latter’s impressive debut as a halfback despite a 20-point loss to Canberra last week.
“In this game, if you’re good enough, you’re old enough. And Lachy wouldn’t be there if he’s not good enough,” Sezer remarked.
“I don’t think he needs me to hold his hand.
“I’ll just do my job and focus on that. And if I’m doing that, well it’ll be beneficial for him, to free him up. I just worry about my own job.
“That’s the biggest attribute of a leader, doing your own job.
“I don’t think about my influence on him. I just do what I need to do and hopefully that’s a positive influence.”
Sezer’s transition to No.7 has resulted in Jayden Sullivan being placed on the bench, after the starting half was substituted mid-match by Benji Marshall due to a poor performance against Canberra last week.
Marshall agreed that Sezer doesn’t need to consciously alleviate any pressure from Galvin, but he seems confident that the Tigers perform better with the former Raider starting.
“We just thought it was best for the team this week,” Marshall stated on Friday.
“We like Aidan’s leadership and what he brings on the field. A fully fit Aidan Sezer as well, that helps.”
Saturday’s match raises concerns once again about the future of Leichhardt Oval, with fears emerging that the Tigers might soon be forced to relocate if the venue isn’t upgraded.
This isn’t the first time such worries have been voiced about the suburban ground, where a railing collapsed during a school rugby game in 2022.
“Leichhardt has significant meaning to many of us,” Marshall expressed.
“Especially those of us who have been around since the beginning. We cherish playing here.
“We enjoy having our home games here, and hopefully, we can secure funding to renovate it.”
