- Lachlan Galvin spotted training at Belmore Oval on Friday
- Bulldogs yet to formally announce he is joining the club
- Contract saga with Wests Tigers has dragged on for weeks
A savvy footy fan has exposed the NRL’s biggest secret – wantaway Wests Tigers star Lachlan Galvin is now a Bulldog.
It comes despite the joint venture club not yet releasing the five-eighth from Concord – or Canterbury formally announcing they have secured the youngster on a multi-year deal until 2028.
Staunch Wests Tigers supporter Rob Bechara, who runs the popular Westslife podcast, uploaded the vision to X on Friday morning from outside Belmore Oval.
Galvin can clearly be seen in blue and white Bulldogs training gear at the club’s base in Sydney’s west.
In the same clip, a number of Galvin’s new teammates were doing stretching exercises, with the NRL ladder leaders enjoying the bye this weekend.
Bechara added on X: ‘Galvin already training with the Bulldogs even though no official release made public by the Tigers and no official announcement from the Bulldogs.’
It also follows Canterbury’s General Manager of Football Phil Gould being accused of courting Galvin while he was under contract at the Tigers.
On Friday afternoon it emerged that the NRL is quizzing the Bulldogs over Galvin’s presence at training, which could result in the club being hit with a heavy fine.
Meanwhile, Benji Marshall says the energy is ‘really positive’ as the rebuilding NRL club finally forges into its post Galvin era.
On Friday, head coach Marshall sidestepped questions on whether he was disappointed to lose Galvin, whose immediate move to Canterbury is finally expected to be confirmed this week.
A savvy footy fan has exposed the NRL’s biggest secret – Lachlan Galvin is now a Bulldog (pictured, training at Belmore Oval on Friday)
Galvin was once viewed as the future at the Wests Tigers – but a rugby league soap opera has followed in recent weeks
The teen star was excused from Tigers training for Round 13 and omitted from the team to face North Queensland on Saturday while the Bulldogs and Tigers finalise a transfer fee for his mid-season switch.
Since then, Galvin has been subject to social media ridicule from teammates Jarome Luai and Sunia Turuva, served the Tigers with a legal letter over bullying claims, and dominated rugby league headlines during the State of Origin period.
Understandably, Marshall is eager to move on from the soap opera.
‘I guess everyone’s probably a little bit sick of talking about it and it being reported,’ the coach said.
‘But we’re just focused on the game. I know it’s a cliched thing to say, but we have to be. ‘It’s been a great week at training. Everyone’s looking forward to playing.
‘We had a week off last week with the bye. The energy around the place has been really good, really positive.’
Marshall shrugged off questions from the Townsville press as to whether he was disappointed to be losing the young gun around whom the Tigers had planned to continue their rebuild.
Wests Tigers coach Benji Marshall is keen to move on from the Galvin soap opera
‘I don’t know if disappointment is the word,’ Marshall said ahead of the clash with the Cowboys.
‘We like the players we’ve got, we love the squad we’ve got, we’re excited about some of the young players coming through for us.
‘We want to try and make a mark on the competition this year. The squad we’ve got, we are confident we can do that.’
Marshall has named Heath Mason to replace Galvin in the halves next to Luai.
