The Wests Tigers have been hit by a major contract blow, with star half Lachlan Galvin set to test the open market from November 1.
Off-contract at the end of 2026, Glavin is viewed by the majority as the future of the joint-venture alongside other talented youngsters coming through the club's system.
His emergence as an NRL level talent over the last 18 months has seen his value sky rocket, and the Tigers confirmed on Monday morning that he would be leaving the club at the end of his deal.
The Tigers confirmed there would be no early release for the star, and admitted to disappointment over the decision.
"We would like to announce that Lachlan Galvin will not be with the club beyond the 2026 season," the Tigers wrote in a statement announcing Galvin's decision.
"Despite the club having the largest contract offer for a junior in the history of the club on the table, Lachlan and his management have decided his future lies elsewhere and were not willing to review the offer.
"It should be noted that the club has NO intention of releasing Lachlan from his contract, and he has not requested this.
"Obviously, there will be a lot of speculation around this release, but we will make no further comment.
"The club is focused on winning as many games as possible during Lachlan's tenure and beyond.
"The club is disappointed, but we move on."
It was reported on Monday morning by the Sydney Morning Herald that the Tigers had offered Galvin a deal of around $5 million over five years.
He has turned his back on that deal though and will instead find a new club from the start of 2027.
Where that is remains to be seen, but there is sure to be plenty of sides interested in his services, with one likelihood looming as the Sydney Roosters.
Galvin becoming a million-dollar per season player seems almost inevitable, with the youngster part of a class of halves where value of contracts has shot through the roof.
That has been evident in recent weeks, with Dylan Brown to become the highest-paid player in the game at the Newcastle Knights from next year, Mitchell Moses being on approximately $1.3 million per season at the Parramatta Eels, and a host of other players earning seven figures.
Galvin, who is rated as one of the best young players in the game, will first have to see out another year and a half of his deal at the Tigers though, and what sort of reaction he gets from the club's fan base will be intriguing.
The Tigers ruling out any chance of an early release as they attempt to rebuild their own side following a number of key off-season acquisitions won't come as a surprise, but there is also little doubt that it's talked about ad nauseum over the coming year and a half.
His salary is limited at this stage of his deal, and it means the Tigers can now invest heavily into other youngsters rising at the club, including Latu Fainu who has attracted interest from rival clubs, and Tallyn da Silva, who, like Galvin, is due to be off-contract at the end of 2026 and could head elsewhere.
