- Benji Marshall says he feels sorry for Lachlan Galvin
- Says the youngster isn’t being bullied by the team
Benji Marshall has fired back at claims Wests Tigers players have bullied five-eighth Lachlan Galvin, after teammates used social media to add to the pile-on facing the want-away teenager.
Marshall and the club’s co-captains, Api Koroisau and Jarome Luai, fronted media on Thursday following days of turmoil stemming from Galvin’s decision to not renew his contract with the club beyond 2026.
‘I spoke to Lachie this morning, I actually feel really sorry for him, he’s a young kid who wants to do what’s best for his future, and the reaction has been overwhelming for him,’ said Marshall.
‘I can understand that, I’ve been in his shoes, and know what it’s like, and what the pressure is like.
‘We have to remember he’s a 19-year-old kid who loves footy.
‘I love coaching Lachie. I said it to him this morning, “I enjoy coaching you, you’re a pleasure to coach, I actually think you’re the future at the club, even though you don’t think you are now”.’
Benji Marshall said Wests Tigers players haven’t been bullying Lachlan Galvin as he stuck up for the five-eighth despite reports doubts over his coaching have played a role in the 19-year-old’s shock split with the club
Marshall said he feels sorry for Galvin (pictured) because he only wants best for his future
Galvin’s manager, Isaac Moses, who is at loggerheads with Marshall, didn’t even entertain a five-year offer the club put on the table.
It was widely reported that Galvin’s dissatisfaction with Marshall’s coaching was a major reason he didn’t want a new deal, which sparked a chain of events that led to the 19-year-old being dropped for Easter Monday’s clash with Parramatta.
‘He is our coach, and at the end of the day (if) you disrespect him you disrespect us as a team, and I don’t stand for that,’ Luai said on Thursday, taking a very different position compared to Marshall.
Galvin was met with ridicule, with both winger Sunia Turuva and Luai taking veiled digs at the playmaker on their personal Instagram accounts.
That led to claims that the teenager was being bullied – a suggestion Marshall rejected.
‘I don’t think he’s being bullied by the other players,’ the coach said.
‘We don’t stand for bullying, and I spoke to the team this morning about it – that’s not us.
‘We’re not bullies, our players are not bullies. They had an emotional reaction … but it’s not bullying.
Galvin made the bombshell decision to leave the club after the 2026 season despite the Tigers tabling a $5.5million offer over five years
‘I don’t think (Turuva) should have done it … but am I going to slap (him) on the wrist for it? No, we don’t need that.’
Marshall said he was surprised to hear criticism of his coaching, particularly as a premiership-winning five-eighth.
Under his guidance, Galvin enjoyed a breakout season in the NRL last year and was named in the Prime Minister’s XIII.
‘I was shocked by it and a little bit disappointed,’ Marshall said.
‘Everyone thinks I can’t coach anyway, so it’s not that different to what’s been said.’
