Officials from the Canterbury Bulldogs and Parramatta Eels have met with Lachlan Galvin and tabled offers of around $750,000 a season to the 19-year-old playmaker.
The Bulldogs and Eels held meetings with Galvin on Wednesday as he prepares to make a decision on his future as early as this weekend.
The offers from the powerhouse Sydney clubs are for considerably less than the salary Wests Tigers chief executive Shane Richardson was willing to pay Galvin when he prepared a contract upgrade and extension worth close to $6 million over five years. It’s believed the offers from Parramatta and Canterbury are for a shorter duration.
Galvin’s decision to turn down Richardson’s offer and potentially accept $3.5 million less to move across town speaks to his frustration with his development at the Tigers.
The Tigers have attached a transfer fee of close to $165,000 to Galvin’s release before November 1 – a sum Parramatta and Canterbury are willing to pay. It is considerably less than the fee of close to seven figures the Tigers initially sought to impose.
The Bulldogs have long maintained a strategy of only signing players who want to play for the club. Sources with knowledge of the situation talking on the condition of anonymity told the Herald Galvin has a strong desire to play under Cameron Ciraldo at the Bulldogs.
Increasing the appeal of the Bulldogs is Galvin’s relationship with assistant coach Luke Vella, a close friend and Galvin’s former high school teacher.
Galvin has also struck up a relationship with Parramatta halfback Mitchell Moses, who has been in the playmaker’s ear about joining the Eels to wear the No.6 jersey set to be vacated by Dylan Brown when he joins Newcastle on a record $13 million deal next year.
Galvin’s future at the Bulldogs wouldn’t be as straightforward, with Matt Burton the incumbent five-eighth at Belmore. Galvin’s potential arrival would all but end Toby Sexton’s time at the club and put Ciraldo in a position where he has to develop a No.7 from within.
Galvin last month informed the Tigers of his desire to depart at the end of his contract, which runs until the end of 2026.
Parramatta haven’t hidden their desire to lure Galvin, a childhood Eels supporter. Parramatta coach Jason Ryles sees hims as the ideal replacement for Brown.
“I made my [interest] clear a couple of weeks ago. That hasn’t changed, so we’ll wait and see what happens,” Ryles said. “The rule is you can’t negotiate until they get permission to, so until that happens we’ll keep our position there. Lots of strange things happen in footy [though], but we’ll make sure we do the right thing with the NRL.”
Replies
Hmm sounds like he's heading off to the Melbourne Storm
Yep Hughes to Parramatta.
Wishful if that happend me and his oldman would be on the next flight 😂
Yep 👍
Gone, don't think he's coming here after all of this. Gus has denied going after Galvin 3 times, then this shit happens. Oh well, props to the bulldogs for signing every player that comes to market. Sick of this absolute circus of a player market. What a joke.
Hang on a minute didn't that prick Gus Gould with the shrivelled up face like my nut sack on a cold day say he wasn't interested. Sly dog he is.
Yep, blatant liar! Can't trust liars that's if he does end up there.
Were you wearing your Popes habit when the shrivel occured Yawney, those Nunn's can be devilish little critters.
I think they'll put critta to 1 galvin 6 Woods 7 Burton centre Hayward 14
Gould has no credibility, a lying prick. How the hell can that club have a spare $750 000? This won't go down to who pays more considering the amount offered to him by the Tigers. This will come down to opportunity & only Parramatta can offer him the 6 jumper. The other he want to improve & Moses is that player, it's still 50/50, fingers cross.
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