The Wests Tigers may have been demolished by the Canberra Raiders last week and have had the unfortunate prestige of claiming back-to-back wooden spoons, but one positive has emerged from their Round 2 match.
Debuting in the NRL last week, five-eighth Lachlan Galvin showed already that he can be a crucial factor in the club's future and could be the answer to the club's halves woes that have affected them over the past decade.
Five-Eighth
Kick Metres
Line Breaks
Tackles Made
Still a teenager, previous players at the club that have been called-up to the NRL side at his age include icons Robbie Farah, Benji Marshall, James Tedesco and Chris Lawrence.
Over the years, the club has used 18 players in the halves in an attempt to reach the finals for the first time since the 2011 season, but it has not succeeded.
Headlined by Luke Brooks and Mitchell Moses, the list of former players that the Tigers have used in the past in the halves include 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.
As the club looked to shake up the roster under the guise of the 'Benji Marshall Era', the club signed Jayden Sullivan (Dragons) and Latu Fainu (Sea Eagles) from rival NRL clubs, brought back Aidan Sezer (Leeds Rhinos) from overseas and promoted Lachlan Galvin to the Top 30 roster.
However, one of these players has stood out above the rest. Before pre-season, many predicted that Galvin would be the fourth choice half for 2024, but impressive showings at training sessions saw him earn the starting five-eighth role.
He has also transitioned from the halves into the second row, a position he played just two years ago in the Under-17s Western Suburbs Magpies squad.
Galvin, 18, joined the Wests Tigers at the start of the season on a three-year contract after an impressive junior career that saw him earn Australian Schoolboys honours and win the 2023 Peter Sterling Medal - awarded to the best player in the NRL Schoolboy Cup.
Surprisingly, in an interview with this masthead earlier in the year, Galvin revealed that he was initially in the Parramatta Eels junior system before being told he was no longer required at the club - a fact that the Eels probably regret in hindsight.
"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," the rookie told Zero Tackle.
"I wasn't really getting game time, and they kind of told (that there is) probably not going to be a spot here for ya in the long-term.
"So I was like, alright. It probably helped me a bit in a way, like it made me train harder. Then, I thought- I lived over in Campbelltown - so 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."
Contracted until the end of the 2026 season, he provided four try assists on his way to being awarded the Peter Sterling Medal last year as he guided his school, Westfields Sports High School, to a National Schoolboys Cup victory, defeating Palm Beach Currumbin 38-4 in the final.
He is known for his great kicking game, flair with ball-in-hand, and incredible football IQ, which saw him set up the club's opening try of the season, make 22 tackles, and run an impressive 146 metres from the halves.
He is also the youngest halves player to make his NRL debut for the Wests Tigers since Benji Marshall in 2003 - and a day younger than Luke Brooks when he debuted.
One can easily see the similarities between Galvin and Marshall, with fans hoping Galvin replicate his coach and lead them to an NRL Grand Final Premiership victory. As well as being a mainstay of the Tigers and making over 250 appearances for the black and orange outfit.
You know what else is Built Different? The PointsBet App!
