Never a dull day in Tiger Town.
Not when Adam Doueihi nails an 87th-minute, golden-point penalty goal to deliver a “season-defining win” over Cronulla in Lachlan Galvin’s first NRL game since his contract saga engulfed the joint-venture.
Just a quiet Sunday at a sold-out Leichhardt Oval really.
“I’m feeling great, I’ve got massive support around me,” Galvin told host broadcaster Fox Sports after full-time and the two most eventful weeks of his burgeoning career.
“All I want to do is play rugby league. That’s the reason I live, to be honest, to play this game.
“That’s all I want to do, work hard and let my footy do the talking. It’s been a big couple of weeks but to come out here tonight and win, it’s great.”
The Wests Tigers have beaten the Sharks.Credit: Getty Images
Galvin celebrated a famous Tigers win with halves partner Jarome Luai and cuddled up to coach Benji Marshall, whose coaching is the apparent cause of him wanting out by the end of 2026, if not sooner.
Barely a boo was bothered with by the masses anyway. Despite the threats delivered on social media last week, the locals reserved most of their jeers for the officials and the visitors.
And the Tigers had them in full voice with one of the gutsiest wins in memory and too many match-saving defensive plays in the 20-18 triumph to mention.
“From a club perspective, that’s the pressure reliever we needed,” Marshall said. “One thing you can’t coach or find are guys who are willing to fight and play for each other, and they showed that in spades tonight.
Lachlan Galvin in action for the Tigers.Credit: Steven Siewert
“That’s a season-defining win. We’re 4-4 [going] into Magic Round and can catapult our season from here.”
If the Tigers can do exactly that in spite of the Galvin saga, it will be thanks to endless defensive efforts from Terrell May, Jahream Bula, Starford To’a and Galvin himself, to name but a few.
After all the drama of the past fortnight, compounding a decade of failings, fall-outs, fights and feuds, it really couldn’t have gone any other way.
Even if the rugby league gods seemed determined to make it exactly so.
When referee Grant Atkins, following the intervention of the bunker, sat Fonua Pole down for collecting Tom Hazleton high in an upright collision between the pair, well the Tigers had seen this one before.
From 18-12 when Pole trudged off, the Sharks levelled up through back-rower Billy Burns. Then with just a few minutes remaining, Nicho Hynes hammered a 50-metre field goal straight into the goalpost.
Still the Tigers clung on to have a sold-out Leichhardt Oval crowd in full voice.
Golden point field goal shots by Hynes, Braydon Trindall and Doueihi – taken from out wide when Jarome Luai was under pressure – were charged down and sailed agonisingly wide at 18-all.
Not until Hazleton roughed up Pole and forced the ball free in a two-man, 87th-minute tackle, could the two sides be separated.
Doueihi calmly stepped up and nailed the 30-metre shot.
The focus before and after was naturally centred on Galvin, with Marshall wording his young tyro up about the expected reception before kick-off.
He needn’t have worried. Not when Luai jinked on the run to find Galvin just eight minutes in, with Galvin in turn popping an offload through two defenders for Samuela Fainu to crash over and open the scoring.
The 19-year-old shared a brief celebratory cuddle with Api Koroisau before flying into his teammates, fists and blood pumping after playing his part to a tee.
“I thought he was great, he just went out and played footy, it’s what he has always done,” Marshall said.
Royce Hunt of the Wests Tigers takes a carry.Credit: Getty Images
“From that first try that he set up, that sort of calmed the nerves and got everyone in the game to just focus on footy.
“We had a good chat before the game about a few things and I thought he did all of those things.”
It was only 80 minutes. But concerns about how his Tigers teammates would go playing alongside him given the legal action his management have taken and bullying allegations thrown around.
As he always is, Luai was blunt when pressed.
“Not once have I said that I don’t like to play with him,” Luai said of Galvin.
“I love playing with the kid, I love what he brings to our team, I love this club and I love this team and I think we all showed that.
“We love this jersey as well. Proud of the boys and hopefully this builds on.”
The emotion and eased pressure valve are one thing to work with. Galvin, while he’s still around, is certainly another. But the defensive resolve Marshall and the Tigers faithful have craved for so long might be the best building block of all.
