Wests Tigers star young gun and five-eighth Lachlan Galvin has confirmed he will leave the club at the end of the 2026 season.
It's a monumental announcement that confirms the Tigers will be moving in a new direction from the start of the 2027 campaign, and that Galvin will have a new club.
Here are all the key questions regarding the announcement, which has come earlier than any in recent memory regarding a future contract call, answered.
MORE: Tigers confirm Galvin contract call
What did the Tigers offer?
Sources at the Sydney Morning Herald reported the Tigers offered Galvin a deal worth around $5 million over 5 years.
It would have locked the young five-eighth in at the joint-venture until at least the end of 2031, and turned him into one of the highest-paid players in the competition.
What did Galvin decide?
Galvin decided, however, to knock back the contract. Reading between the lines of the Tigers' statement on the star youngster, and various reports, it would appear he wanted to test the open market from November 1 to ascertain his true value.
The market for halves in the NRL at the moment is off the charts. Dylan Brown recently signed a deal with the Newcastle Knights from the start of 2026 for the next decade, believed to be worth $1.4 million per year, while Mitchell Moses has taken options out of his deal at the Eels and confirmed a contract believed to be worth around $1.3 million per year.
There are a number of other halves believed to be earning seven figures, including Nathan Cleary at the Penrith Panthers, Jarome Luai at the Wests Tigers, Cameron Munster at the Melbourne Storm, Nicho Hynes at the Cronulla Sharks, Sam Walker (from 2026) at the Sydney Roosters and Daly Cherry-Evans at the Manly Sea Eagles.
However, what he will earn next year when he leaves the Northern Beaches remains a mystery.
The young five-eighth knocking back the contract was his right, but the Tigers suggested he simply didn't want to review the contract at all.
Whether that would have changed when other offers came in from November 1 will remain an unanswered mystery.
How did the Tigers react?
The Tigers released a statement on Monday morning confirming Galvin would not be at the club from the start of 2027.
It means he is contracted with the Tigers for another 18 months, but will be actively negotiating and signing away his future to another club.
Again, reading between the lines, it appears the Tigers were not willing to wait for Galvin to drag it out to November 1, explore other offers and then ultimately go in another direction.
Instead, CEO Shane Richardson and the recruitment staff pulled the band-aid off and decided to make it public in mid-April of 2025 that Galvin would be departing the club at the end of 2026.
What are the chances of an early release?
None, apparently.
The Tigers were very clear about that in their statement released on Monday.
They have no intention of an early release for the five-eighth, and the club also suggested Galvin and his management have not asked for one at this time.
Whether that changes at some point between now and the end of 2026 is anyone's guess, but the social media reaction to the Tigers' announcement is hardly a surprise - the majority are suggesting he will not be at Concord come March next year.
When can Galvin start negotiating with rival clubs?
Technically, players off-contract at the end of the following year (2026 in this case) can commence negotiating with rival clubs from November 1, 2025.
Given the Tigers have already announced the five-eighth won't be at the club in 2027 though - an unprecedented step this early in the process - they may well give Galvin permission to negotiate immediately.
There is little doubt the Tigers will be keen to bury the transfer speculation as quickly as possible and get their focus back to the on-field results for the remainder of Galvin's tenure at the club.
Which rival clubs are the most likely to make an offer?
It's hard to say this early in the piece.
The Sydney Roosters and Manly Sea Eagles were seen as two obvious options to make him deals, with both potentially needing long-term five-eighths, but are reportedly out of the race.
Cashed up clubs will however want to make a run at Galvin. The Parramatta Eels have lost Dylan Brown and will almost certainly enter the negotiation room, while the St George Illawarra Dragons, Canterbury Bulldogs and even Penrith Panthers, as well as cashed-up clubs in Queensland, The Dolphins and North Queensland Cowboys, could all have a crack at Galvin for 2027.
Being so far down the road means any club that views him as a talent could yet come to the table, knowing there will be salary cap wiggle room. Most clubs currently have less than a third of their squad locked away for 2027.
What will Galvin's next contract be worth?
Almost ubdoubtedly seven figures, although it may yet depend on how much of a bidding war breaks out for his services.
There is no doubt he is talented, but he may be yet to put himself at the pointy end of the list when it comes to the game's best five-eighths.
He hasn't been helped by playing in a team who have lost more games than they have won during his career, but his performances under pressure while negotiating a contract which will be one of the most talked about in the game until it's done, will also either add or subtract from his value.
What does Galvin not being a Tiger mean for the club in 2027?
It means the Tigers are going to be cashed up and have money to burn on the open market.
They will need a new five-eighth, and potentially a new halfback if Jarome Luai opts out of his player options which commence in 2027.
If Luai opts out, the Tigers are going to have millions available, but even with Galvin's money, they will need to be smart about re-investing.
There are few good options at five-eighth currently off-contract at the end of 2026, with Tyson Gamble, Luke Metcalf and Trent Toelau among the best, while the likes of Jahrome Hughes headlines the list of halfbacks off-contract.
The short of the situation is that the Tigers aren't going to be spending all of the money they had set aside for Galvin on a replacement five-eighth unless a rival club releases a player, but that could mean they can attempt to take the options out of Luai's contract, and re-sign a host of other young players including dummy half Tallyn da Silva, who may also look elsewhere if Apisai Koroisau is re-signed, and Latu Fainu, who now shapes as the long-term five-eighth at the Tigers.
It also means the Tigers may be able to attack the open market in other positions, with the likes of Jye Gray (who could yet be a five-eighth option), James Tedesco, Tom Trbojevic, Herbie Farnworth, Will Penisini, Jesse Ramien, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Josh Curran, Jake Trbojevic, Payne Haas, Junior Paulo, Lindsay Smith, John Bateman, Angus Crichton, David Fifita, Viliame Kikau, Keaon Koloamatangi, Xavier Coates, Reuben Garrick and Will Warbrick headling in the list of players off-contract in other positions.
Either way, the Tigers are going to be able to attack November 1 with six months of planning under their belt thanks to this early, early announcement regarding Galvin.
