Exclusive column “Mole”; Wests Tigers sponsor urges club to re-sign Lachlan Galvin on 10-year deal

Sponsor Wests Tigers are pushing the club to sign budding superstar Lachlan Galvin to a record 10-year contract.

Galvin, the NRL’s top new player in 2024, is just 19 years old and has two years remaining on his current Tigers contract.

But it does mean rival clubs will be able to talk to him this time next year – something businessman and longtime Tigers fan Frank Micali wants to avoid.

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“I’m tired of seeing the Tigers produce these great kids and then lose them to cashed-out clubs,” Micali, who runs a chain of gourmet donut franchises around Sydney, told Wide World of Sports.

“Lachlan is a generational player and a great guy who I have known since he was at Westfields Sports High School.

“People close to the club are already concerned about his loss and have come to me.

“I am pleased to provide third-party sponsorship and hope the club can reach a deal with his manager. They know where to find me – I worked at the Tigers and know a lot of people there.”

“They can build a team around Lachlan that can challenge for the premiership – that’s how good a player he will be.”

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Earlier this year, there was talk of Galvin moving to Penrith after the Tigers signed Panthers superstar Jarome Luai.

The Panthers eventually signed rising Eels player Blaze Talagi, but for some time there was a real danger that Galvin would leave.

TOP DOG MAKING WAVES ABROAD

The Bulldogs are on the verge of reaching a ground-breaking deal with Fiji that will see the island nation’s best young players join the Bulldogs.

Canterbury coach Phil Gould is currently in Nadi finalizing negotiations that will see Kaiviti Silktails join the Bulldogs family as a feeder club.

The Silktails represent the best young Fijian talent and play in the NSWRL Flegg Jersey Cup.

Led by longtime NRL star Wes Naikamah, they finished bottom of the league table this year but gained invaluable experience playing against some of NSW’s best young players.

“This is an exciting time for both the Bulldogs and Fijian rugby league,” Gould told Wide World of Sports.

‘BAD FEELING’ BETWEEN THE STAR PLAYERS

What NRL coach has a major problem with his playmaker and captain fighting with each other?

The pair were at odds on the pitch during the club’s unsuccessful 2024 campaign, often simultaneously demanding the ball and failing to agree on or off the pitch.

The bad feeling ran so high that at the end of the season the playmaker boycotted the club’s Mad Monday celebrations.

The drama shows no signs of abating over the summer, leaving the coach with some massive fences to straighten to bring them back together.

TEENAGE PROSPECT REFUSES LEAGUE

NRL clubs have missed out on a great prospect in Brisbane GPS star Tyler Maybury.

Maybury, who was coached at Brisbane Boys’ College this season by former international and Broncos Brad Thorne, has decided to join the famous Randwick rugby club in Sydney.

The 18-year-old captained the school and averaged two tries per game against strong GPS opposition.

“He’s a powerful defender and may have been good in the league, but he comes from a South African family and they love their rugby union,” Maybery manager Brendan Underwood told the Wide World of Sports.

“Randwick would be a great fit for him.”