Lachlan Galvin personally phoned Parramatta coach Jason Ryles to break the news he would be passing on their lucrative three-year offer to join Canterbury instead.
As Galvin completed a field session with the bulk of the Bulldogs’ NRL squad on Saturday, including Toby Sexton – the halfback now under the most pressure to keep his spot because of Galvin’s arrival – Ryles suggested the Dogs’ ladder position may have helped with his final decision.
The Eels are now stuck for a five-eighth, with Dylan Brown leaving at the end of the year to take up his mega-deal at Newcastle. The Roosters’ Sandon Smith and Melbourne’s Jonah Pezet are two No.6 targets that have already been floated, but Ryles, who has worked with both, said the club would wait and “see what the market does over the next few months”.
Ryles confirmed NSW Origin duo Mitchell Moses and Zac Lomax would play against Penrith on Sunday at the Panthers’ “home ground”, CommBank Stadium, before conversation turned to former Tigers playmaker Galvin, who completed his switch to Canterbury on Friday.
“For me, it’s pretty simple,” Ryles said. “There was a player available, it was Lachie, we were interested, we put our best foot forward, and he chose to go to another club.
“That club happens to be coming first at the moment, so I completely understand it.
Lachie Galvin trains with the Bulldogs on SaturdayCredit: Nine News
“We had a really good shot at it. When we sat down with Lachie, it was a really good conversation. We spent a fair bit of time with him and his dad [James].
“I really appreciated the fact he did call and let us know what was happening. It’s disappointing, but it is what it is.”
Pressed on his thoughts about the Dogs being ladder leaders – and if that swayed Galvin – Ryles, whose team could finish the weekend in the bottom two on the ladder if they lose, said: “You’d have to ask Lachie that. He gave us a really good opportunity to sit down, we put forward what we had to offer, and where we thought he’d fit. We move on from it [now].
“We’ll take our time. Everyone expects us to make a knee-jerk reaction, which we definitely won’t.”
Best of enemies: NSW halves Nathan Cleary and Mitchell Moses play against each other on SundayCredit: Dylan Coker
Galvin parted ways with the Tigers to ink a deal with the Dogs until the end of 2028 that averages out to be worth $750,000 a season.
Moses and Lomax were excellent for the Blues in their 18-6 win over the Maroons, with Moses spending the back half of this week on the masseuse’s table to help managed a niggling calf issue.
Ryles, however, said he was in no doubt to start, and seeing him go head-to-head with his Blues halves partner Nathan Cleary would be “good theatre”.
“Mitch had a bit of awareness there [in the calf], but there was no incident, he’s been on the physio table the last couple of days, getting massage, recovering, and getting ready for Sunday,” Ryles said.
Penrith have struggled to draw crowds to CommBank Stadium while their own ground undergoes a $309m redevelopment, with the premiers likely to be greeted by a sea of Parramatta blue and gold in the stands.
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