Wests Tigers coach Benji Marshall has commented on the future of teenage sensation Lachlan Galvin with the five-eighth able to negotiate with rival teams from November 1.
One of the best rookies in the NRL, Galvin has been one of the standouts and highlights for the Wests Tigers over the past two seasons as they continue to rebuild under Benji Marshall and attempt to turn their luck around
In only 24 first-grade matches, Galvin has shown that he is a future star of the competition and has already earned praise from former NRL icons turned media pundits Andrew Johns and Phil Gould.
Following CEO Shane Richardson's comments in November that the Tigers and Galvin's management were "working closely" to extend his contract, reports emerged that the club is set to offer him a "significant offer" and that a new deal could be "imminent."
This comes after he was linked to the Parramatta Eels as Dylan Brown's replacement and it was heavily indicated a week ago that he would explore his options from November 1, which would see him become the biggest target on the open market.
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Benji Marshall has since commented on the youngster's future but stated that he won't talk about recruitment publicly and his only job is to coach Galvin and make sure he is the best possible version of himself.
“There's been a lot of talk about Lachie and the thing is, he's on contract with us (until end of 2026) and we are talking about what he's doing next,” Marshall said on Friday ahead of the club's match against The Dolphins.
“I don't talk publicly about recruitment and I won't again but we really like what Lachie is doing.”
“You just watch him on the weekend, he just wants to play.
“That's what player managers are for and recruitment people are for, is to sort that part out. My job is to coach him and his job is to play and the rest gets worked out.”
Contracted for next season, Galvin will be able to speak with rival teams from November 1 and will likely attract a ton of interest on the open market if he doesn't extend before then.
Set to earn $600,000 over the next couple of years, the 19-year-old is likely to receive a significant pay rise in his next deal.
“I think it's imminent. I think it'll come in the next month or two they'll make a move on Lachlan Galvin,” The Daily Telegraph's Brent Read said on NRL360.
“They have to make a move on him because he's one of those guys who can talk with rival clubs on November 1 and there are a stack of clubs that are lining him up.
“I think he'll be a million dollar player at some point in that contract offer. I think it'll be a significant offer over a long period of time.”
Capping off his stellar first season in the NRL, the 2023 Australian Schoolboys captain was selected to represent the Prime Minister's XIII alongside teammate Alex Seyfarth.
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Unfortunately, despite being the favourite, he could not claim the 2024 Dally M Rookie of the Year honours as he was suspended for three matches at the beginning of the season for a hip-drop tackle against his former team.
"I'm really staying out of that at the moment. My manager is dealing with that," Galvin told Zero Tackle recently.
"I haven't really heard much about it. Nothing's really happened at the moment so I'm just going to let this year play out and whatever happens, happens.
"I don't really want to get into talks at the moment. I just want to play my best."
