Canterbury Bulldogs boss Phil Gould reckons the ladder-leading Bulldogs have pretty much locked up Lachlan Galvin, the teenage Tiger who wants out. It looks like the Tigers are gonna let him go early. Gould made these comments after the Raiders beat the Warriors 16-10, moving up to second spot in a heated game at Mt Smart Stadium to wrap up round 12. While Ricky Stuart’s team put an end to the Warriors’ five-game winning streak, all eyes in the league turned to Western Sydney with reports surfacing that the Tigers had given Galvin the green light to leave 18 months before his contract ends. This news came six weeks after the Tigers revealed that Galvin wouldn’t be sticking around after his current deal expires next year. After some speculation that he might head back to his junior club in Parramatta, Canterbury emerged as the top contender this week. Gould spilled the beans on Channel Nine, saying, “Lachlan Galvin wants to play for the Bulldogs. We haven’t finalized the deal yet, and there are still some details to iron out with the Tigers regarding his release. Hopefully, we’ll have a clearer picture in the next 48 hours. Lachlan has made it clear that he prefers the Bulldogs, so we’ll try to make it happen.”
Not entirely sure why anyone would care, but Gould mentioned six weeks ago that they had other plans at the Bulldogs and had some talented kids coming through. He also mentioned that he never thought Galvin would become available this soon. Gould was surprised when Galvin informed the Tigers that he wouldn’t be playing in 2027 despite being under contract until the end of 2026. It was kind of a long wait to see if they had a player or not, so the Bulldogs had to consider their options when they got a call on Tuesday saying there was a chance Galvin could be released from the Tigers and be available immediately. Gould said, “The goalposts shifted dramatically this week, and we had to think about it.” The deal isn’t set in stone yet, but it looks like Galvin will be wearing blue and white soon.
Seems like a done deal now, with reports swirling that Galvin has agreed to join the Bulldogs immediately on a contract through 2028. Gould mentioned that the deal isn’t finalized yet, but he expects it to be in the next day or two. He said, “Lachlan Galvin wants to play for the Bulldogs, we haven’t finalized the deal yet, and there are still some things to sort out with the Tigers about his release. Hopefully, in the next 48 hours, we’ll have a clearer picture.” When the Tigers announced that Galvin wouldn’t be staying after 2026, Gould said, “We’ve got other plans at the Bulldogs … we’ve got kids coming through.” But he also admitted that he never expected Galvin to become available so soon. The goalposts shifted all of a sudden this week, and they had to consider their options when they got a call on Tuesday saying there was a chance Galvin could be released from the Tigers and join the Bulldogs now.
Maybe it’s just me, but the Bulldogs seem to be making some big moves with Galvin. It’s not entirely clear why this is such a big deal, but it looks like he’s heading to Canterbury sooner than expected. The whole situation with Galvin and the Tigers is a bit confusing, to be honest. But it seems like things are falling into place for the Bulldogs. Let’s see how this all plays out in the next few days.