Lachlan Galvin is facing a baptism of fire as he gears up to face his old club, but he wouldn\u2019t be there had it not been for a \u201cbig call\u201d which could define the Bulldogs\u2019 season.<\/p>\n
Think back to 2019 at Melbourne Storm. Jahrome Hughes had featured at fullback for the majority of the season, with Brodie Croft pulling the strings in the No.7 jersey.<\/p>\n
On the eve of the finals, Craig Bellamy swung the axe, dropping Croft and shifting Hughes into the halves.<\/p>\n
FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every game of every round in the 2025 NRL Telstra Premiership, LIVE with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer ><\/a><\/p>\n The Storm came desperately close to a grand final appearance \u2014 and Canterbury-Bankstown will be hopeful of going one better his year after a call of equal measure.<\/p>\n Toby Sexton had led the Bulldogs to the top of the table before Cameron Ciraldo decided Galvin was the man to lead this side to glory.<\/p>\n A brave decision, and one that is already paying dividends according to club legend Michael Ennis.<\/p>\n Jahrome Hughes scores for Melbourne in the 2019 finals. The Storm won a premiership the following season.Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019d been a lot of raps. Brodie (Croft) was sort of that next Cooper Cronk, and it was a big call,\u201d Ennis told foxsports.com.au.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was close to the finals and you felt, boy, that\u2019s going to have to work. That\u2019s a big call. Look where Jahrome is now.<\/p>\n \u201cThose good coaches have got to make tough decisions but at the same time, (you\u2019ve) got to back yourself and back your feel.<\/p>\n \u201cCameron has been there now for a couple of seasons, knows what he wants his footy side to look like.<\/p>\n \u201cKnows probably where they needed to find those small improvements. They were sitting at the top of the competition but maybe he felt … when it got to finals they needed something different.<\/p>\n \u201cLachie brings that.\u201d<\/p>\n Lachlan Galvin in action for the Bulldogs.Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n Galvin\u2019s injection at halfback sparked the Bulldogs\u2019 attack, which Ciraldo considered to be lacking potency.<\/p>\n Prior to Round 20, Canterbury managed only 12 points against the Cowboys before going down to the Broncos 22-18. <\/p>\n The week before they managed six against reigning premiers Penrith. Just 36 points in three games.<\/p>\n Now, 62 points across Galvin\u2019s two appearances have vindicated Ciraldo\u2019s call, beating the Dragons in a tight affair before blowing the Sea Eagles out of the water.<\/p>\n Toby Sexton was the unlucky casualty in Lachlan Galvin\u2019s Bulldogs arrival.Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n \u201cFor Lachie, it was a big change. Canterbury got Lachie I think earlier than they probably expected,\u201d Ennis said.<\/p>\n \u201cTo Cameron\u2019s credit, he has made some brave calls. He backed him as tough as it is, and there\u2019s not a person in the game that doesn\u2019t feel for Toby Sexton.<\/p>\n \u201cGiven he was playing decent footy and he\u2019d got them to the top of the ladder. But sometimes as a coach, you\u2019ve got to make those tough decisions.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you\u2019re feel you\u2019re at that point that you can get to with the squad, and you\u2019ve got an opportunity to bring someone in that makes the team better and can get you to change gears and find that next level, that\u2019s what he felt clearly he had with Lachie.<\/p>\n \u201cThese last two weeks have been great. Given he\u2019s been there for six or eight weeks, he\u2019s a great talent.\u201d<\/p>\n But now, the 20-year-old faces his biggest test.<\/p>\n Lachlan Galvin faces his old club on Sunday.Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n There\u2019s been non-stop noise, media spotlight and expectation heaped on the shoulders of a player with only 37 NRL games under his belt.<\/p>\n Taking the field against his former club and teammates shapes as a new and unique situation for a player barely out of high school. <\/p>\n Galvin was released by the Tigers after a six-week saga that included claims of bullying, Benji Marshall\u2019s coaching credentials coming under fire and an immediate switch.<\/p>\n On the evidence presented, the rising star has always risen to the challenge at hand, according to Ennis, who believes nothing will change on Sunday.<\/p>\n \u201cIt will be really interesting to find out (how he is feeling) because he is coming off an incredibly high. They were brilliant against Manly,\u201d Ennis said.<\/p>\n \u201cHis first real big stage, big opportunity in the new colours and obviously an important day for the club, celebrating the 95 premiership winning side.<\/p>\n \u201cBig crowd at Allianz Stadium where the finals series will be apart of. I thought he handled that terrifically well. He\u2019s probably full of confidence enjoying that win.<\/p>\n Lachlan Galvin in action during a thrashing of Manly.Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n \u201cThen in a matter of seconds, all of a sudden his attention turns to who he will be playing next, and all right, it\u2019s the Tigers.<\/p>\n \u201cThe groundswell of media starts to build in the background. I think he\u2019s handled himself incredibly well throughout the whole process and I think it\u2019ll be a game he\u2019s really looking forward to.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Tigers are going to be desperation, so they\u2019re going to be up emotionally because they are not where they want to be. <\/p>\n \u201cThey went on a big recruitment drive where they attracted premiership winners to try and get themselves away from the wooden spoons they\u2019ve attracted the last couple of seasons.<\/p>\n \u201cWhilst there\u2019s been improvement under Benji, they\u2019re not where they want to be.\u201d<\/p>\n Bulldogs coach Cameron Ciraldo made a ruthless call to switch up his halfback.Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n Tigers halfback Jarome Luai was one of the most vocal figures when it came to Galvin\u2019s messy exit, and he took to social media with a swipe on Instagram which read \u2018Team First\u2019.<\/p>\n Luai said there \u201cwasn\u2019t any beef\u201d between the pair and he wasn\u2019t buying into the Galvin versus Tigers storyline.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not about Lachie, it\u2019s not about the Dogs. It\u2019s about us,\u201d Luai said.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s a story everyone wants to talk about. For us here inside our four walls, it\u2019s about us and how we perform on game day. <\/p>\n \u201cComing off the back of a loss, my main focus as a player is how I prepare throughout the week and ultimately, how I\u2019m gonna perform. It\u2019s all about me and my team.\u201d<\/p>\n Jarome Luai gearing up to face his old halves partner.Source: News Corp Australia<\/p>\n He also confirmed that he and Galvin haven\u2019t spoken since the young gun departed, but did expect the fans to give him a noisy reception once he runs out in front of the Tigers faithful.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been on the receiving end (of boos) many times,\u201d Luai said.<\/p>\n \u201cFor me it\u2019s fun. You know, that\u2019s the game of rugby league. It\u2019s a fan-driven game, you know, so you\u2019ve got to expect that. Good luck to Lachie.\u201d<\/p>\n That hostility is set to ignite a fierce battle, according to Ennis.<\/p>\n \u201cVery rarely in the modern game do we see players come to blows or there\u2019s no fighting in anything like that,\u201d Ennis said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe game\u2019s changed in that regard, but there\u2019s still the hostilities, and the game has great tribalism, it just takes something like Galvin leaving the Tigers to come to the Bulldogs. <\/p>\n \u201cEverything that sort of surfaced at that point in time around, you know, the leaders and the Instagram posts and all that stuff adds to that tribalism and that theatre around Galvin.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s no doubt that we\u2019ll see those emotions both in the stands through the fans and also on the field<\/p>\n \u201cI think that battle between Luai and Galvin will be an absolute ripper on Sunday.\u201d<\/p>\n Luai not concerned with ‘Galvin Cup’ | 01:31<\/p>\n While Luai explained his focus is purely on his side ahead of Sunday\u2019s clash, Ennis was certain he will be desperate to one-up the player who jumped ship.<\/p>\n \u201cHe loves it, Jarome. He loves the battle and that\u2019s what has made him great for so long. He\u2019s an incredibly competitor,\u201d Ennis explained.<\/p>\n \u201cFour premierships, won an Origin series. He\u2019s been up in the face of the opposition and it\u2019s hard not to love what he brings to a footy side. <\/p>\n MORE NRL NEWS<\/p>\n \u2018TRYING WAY TOO MUCH\u2019: Matty, Cronk\u2019s advice to Walsh amid Broncos\u2019 big issue<\/a><\/p>\n NRLW TALKING PTS: Embarrassment of Roosters riches; threat facing Broncos<\/a><\/p>\n \u2018I SHOULDN\u2019T SAY IT\u2019: Braith \u2018put on spot\u2019 over Dragons saga as outcast \u2018loses hope\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n