Luai has previously spoken about his desire to be Batman, to step out of being the Robin to Nathan Cleary at Penrith. With his coach under pressure and the season in danger of slipping away, what happens next could be the making of him.
Lachlan Galvin has knocked back an offer from the Tigers.Credit: Getty Images
If Luai can heal a seemingly fractured playing group, with Galvin riding shotgun by his side, it will be a feat as impressive as the four premierships he won at the Panthers.
It is also an opportunity for Galvin to show a maturity beyond his 19 years. While there have been suggestions his contractual dramas have weighed heavily on him, those close to Galvin say he remains unaffected.
One of the traits that make Galvin such a special player is his ability to quickly forget errors and on-field setbacks. The Westfield Sports High School productโs personality on the field is matched by a similar one off it. While some have speculated that recent events have weighed heavily on Galvin, those close to him are adamant he remains a carefree teen.
While one person on social media threatened to key Galvinโs car, the young man remains unaffected.
Meanwhile, the game being played off the field continues. The Tigers are adamant they wonโt let a talent they were prepared to pay $6 million to retain go early. Galvinโs legal team, having retained leading silk Arthur Moses SC, has sought โurgent mediationโ following accusations that their client has been bullied.
The only winners from this sad, sorry mess will be the lawyers.
Tigers chief executive Shane Richardson made the point that Galvin has never criticised Marshallโs coaching. Itโs a pointer to the clubโs beef being with Galvinโs agent rather than the player.
Some disgruntled footy fans took up the theme when they began a petition calling for manager Isaac Moses to be banned from practising in the NRL. At the time of writing, there were fewer than 1000 signatures.
Others have called for Moses to be answerable to the media. Both suggestions are a nonsense. The only person Moses is answerable to is his client.
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โCertainly, once theyโve rejected the West Tigers offer and the way the West Tigers reacted, the manager has used the opportunity now to say, โWell, all right, if thatโs the way you want to be about it, then this is what weโre going to doโ,โ said Phil Gould on his Six Tackles with Gus podcast.
โWhoโs right, and whoโs wrong here? Itโs six of one, half a dozen of the other โฆ itโs just unfortunate that a kid wants to walk out on his club like that. And there must be a reason for it.โ
While unperturbed by his motherโs absence at the game, not having his grandfather there is another matter. The 90-year-old, one of Galvinโs biggest supporters, has been hospitalised and isnโt mobile enough to watch his grandson live. Galvin knows a big performance on Sunday would be the best medicine.
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