Benji Marshall says fans would be within their rights to boo Lachlan Galvin when the Canterbury recruit faces Wests Tigers for the first time since his messy mid-season exit.
Galvin’s split from the Tigers has been one of the NRL season’s biggest talking points, with the young playmaker pulling out of a rebuild that had centred around him.
His move to premiership hopefuls the Bulldogs was particularly demoralising given it came just as the three-time reigning wooden spooners appeared to be turning a corner.
Galvin was subject to social media ridicule from teammates Jarome Luai and Sunia Turuva when news of his exit became public and fans were similarly quick to lay into the 20-year-old online amid his move.
(Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)
Marshall claimed the Tigers “haven’t even talked about Lachie” ahead of Sunday’s clash at CommBank Stadium.
He was unsure whether the Tigers faithful would keep a lid on their own emotions.
“That’s up to them,” Marshall said when asked whether he expected Galvin would receiving booing.
“The thing with that is you can’t tell them what to do or what to say or what not to say. They’ll feel how they feel. Everyone’s entitled to feel how they feel.”
A premiership-winning playmaker prior to his coaching career, Marshall said being booed was part of life as a professional athlete.
“Honestly, I’d be surprised if we don’t (receive booing as well). That’s what fans’ job is to do, they go out and they get stuck into the opposition,” the coach said.
“I’ve seen fans boo the best of players in the world, the Jonathan Thurstons, Cameron Smiths, Cooper Cronks. They’ve all been booed in their careers.
“You just accept it for what it is. Not everyone’s going to like you. If you can handle that, you’ll be good.”
After weeks of debate about how he would fit into the Bulldogs’ attack, Galvin appears to have found his rhythm at the new firm.
He and halves partner Matt Burton found seamless chemistry in a 42-4 thrashing of finals hopefuls Manly last week.
“He’s obviously added a bit of spark to them and is going pretty good there so good luck to them,” Marshall said.
“But at the same time, we’ve got to get our game right.”
Benji Marshall. (Photo by Mark Evans/Getty Images)
Marshall expected a big game out of 20-year-old Latu Fainu, the man who has replaced Galvin next to Luai in the Tigers’ halves.
Fainu was taken off during the second half of last week’s big loss to Penrith, only his fifth game since becoming a first-choice starting halfback.
“It’d be disappointing coming off the field last week but at the same time, he’s four (sic) games playing halfback into a long career,” Marshall said.
“Sometimes, development-wise, you need to help them out and take a bit of pressure off them, which I thought I did. We’re expecting him to be back at his best this week.”
Cleary sounds warning to rivals
Penrith’s NRL rivals have been put on notice as coach Ivan Cleary insists the resurgent four-time reigning premiers can still improve.
After a dismal 1-5 start to the season, the Panthers have become one of the NRL’s form teams on a seven-game winning streak that has rocketed them into fifth place on the ladder.
Penrith’s defence appears back to its miserly best, conceding only 10 points on average across their winning run, with big names Nathan Cleary and Dylan Edwards outstanding in recent weeks.
But even after last week’s comprehensive 36-2 defeat of Wests Tigers, Cleary said the Panthers still have improvement in them.
“I’m very happy with the way things are going. I think even over the last seven weeks, our performances have continued to grow. (But) I feel like there’s more in us as well,” he said ahead of Saturday’s clash with Gold Coast.
“I still don’t think we’ve found that cohesion we’re looking for.”
Cleary said inexperienced hands Casey McLean, Tom Jenkins and Blaize Talagi had all begun to find chemistry on the left edge following the Panthers’ tough start to the year.
None of that trio were regular first graders at the Panthers before this season.
“Those guys played all the way through this whole period. That’s really helped them,” Cleary said.
“Now if we can get ‘Yeoy’ (Isaah Yeo) and ‘Nat’ and ‘Dyl’ and those guys all working together with both sides of the field and middles as well, we should only get better and we need to.
“It’s exciting times ahead.”
Panthers coach Ivan Cleary. (Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)
The Panthers coach still felt as though his side were underdogs despite salvaging their season and shaping as unlikely contenders for a top-four finish.
“We’ve come from the bottom and we’re still in the bottom of the eight so we still feel like we’re hunting,” Cleary said.
Cleary insisted the Panthers would not underestimate 16th-placed Titans, who return to the Gold Coast on the back of an upset defeat of top-four hopefuls the Warriors.
“I actually like watching the Titans play, they’ve got some real game-breakers,” said Cleary.
“They’re a good team, they probably should’ve won more games. Hopefully it’s not this week.”
Dragons eye off Kerr with Klemmer going
St George Illawarra are looking to bring Josh Kerr back to the club from the Dolphins to bolster the experience levels in their pack for 2026.
With Jack de Belin off to the Eels, David Klemmer likely to finish his career in the Super League and Michael Molo following his brother Frank out the exit, NewsCorp has reported the Dragons have identified Kerr as an experienced middle forward who can offer plenty of value.
Kerr left the Dragons midway through the 2023 season after playing 68 matches at the club and has racked up another 42 in Redcliffe but is off contract at the end of the year.
The Indigenous All-Stars front-rower was part of Queensland’s extended Origin squad this year and would add much-needed muscle to the middle forward rotation if he returns to Wollongong.
Sifa Talakai. (Photo by Brett Hemmings/Getty Images)
Cronulla’s Braden Hamlin-Uele and Siosifa Talakai could also be on the move after being told they are free to negotiate elsewhere despite having another season on their contracts.
The veteran duo are unlikely to be re-signed by the club beyond their current deals so they have been given the option of trying to lock down a lengthier contract elsewhere.
Shaq Mitchell is alo on the lookout for a new club with South Sydney not offering him a new deal while former Manly prodigy Josh Schuster could have played his last NRL game with the Rabbitohs opting not to keep him on the roster after his comeback season ended early when he decided to take a break from the game.
with AAP