Lachlan Galvin is still coming to terms with the fact that a “surreal” rookie season isn’t over yet.
“To be representing Australia after my first year in the NRL, it hasn’t even sunk in yet,” Galvin said. “It’s mad.”
After making his NRL debut in round one, Galvin has made 21 NRL appearances, taken out the Rugby League Players’ Association rookie-of-the-year honour and would have added a Dally M rookie trophy had a suspension not made him ineligible.
Now a breakout first season has been topped off with selection in the Prime Ministers’ XIII squad, which will take on PNG in Port Moresby on Sunday.
“At the start of the year I wouldn’t have pictured any of this to be happening,” Galvin told this masthead.
“If you put the work in and you want to do it, anything can happen.”
Lachlan Galvin is ready to wear the green and gold.Credit: Getty Images
It has been a heady rise for Galvin. Still only 19, he will return to PNG after captaining the Australian Schoolboys side last year.
“They just love their rugby league and everything to do with it,” he said. “They mob you every time, it will be fun.”
It is a measure of how much Galvin has impressed in his rookie year that Phil Gould rated the Westfield Sports High product a better prospect than Andrew Johns, Brad Fittler and Greg Alexander at the same age. Gould went on to predict that Galvin will earn more money from rugby league than any player in history by the time he has retired.
“Gus [Gould] has watched hundreds and hundreds of juniors come through the ranks, so for him to say that about me, I’m obviously grateful for that,” Lachlan said.
“I don’t want to get too ahead of myself, I’ll just work hard. It’s pretty cool when a great like Gus Gould says that about you.”
The Tigers finished with their third-straight wooden spoon, but Galvin’s form and the arrival of halves partner Jarome Luai next season is cause for optimism.
“When he signed at the back end of last year, we all thought he was good, that he was going to come here and help us,” Galvin said of the Panthers star. “But throughout this year he has just been incredible with what he’s done. With Nathan [Cleary] being out for so long, he has just carried that team.
“He’s a genuine halfback, he can get a team around the park. You can even feel on Sunday night in the grand final how good he was. I can’t wait.
Tigers talent Lachlan Galvin.Credit: Getty
“He’s going to be massive for our club and will completely change the whole culture and lead us to a top-eight position in the years to come.”
As for how Luai – a four-time premiership winner – will be able to transform his own game, Galvin said: “For me, I think it will let me play my game even more and take the pressure off me. He can do his thing, I can do my thing and we can always link up as well. It’s going to be massive, not just for me but for the club as well.
“Just his winning mindset and his winning culture, he will change all that. I can’t wait until he pops in for preseason. He is going to be massive.
“I think we’re a genuine top-eight contender with [Luai and Panthers teammate Sunia Turuva] coming across.
“If we have the right preseason and all put the work in, with all of us younger boys getting a taste of it this year, we have no excuses for next year.
“We know what it feels like, we just need to work hard and we have genuine champions coming across. They will put the polish on it for us and I feel we’re a genuine top-eight chance next year.”
While Galvin will be a target for opposition teams after a breakout year, he is confident he can take his game to a new level.
“I’ll stay away from that second-year syndrome, I’ll put in the hard work so that can’t happen to me,” he said.
“I’ll keep getting better and going up, play my best footy next year and try to lead these Tigers to the top eight next year.”
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