Johns has dispelled concerns around Galvin after revealing what role he thinks the youngster should play.
Former NRL premiership winner Matty Johns has shot down concerns around Lachie Galvin after making a call on his best position at the Bulldogs. Galvin is set to join Cameron Ciraldo’s Bulldogs this season after being granted an immediate release from his Wests Tigers contract, with the Dogs set to pay a $165,000 transfer fee to secure the move in 2025.
It’s understood Galvin has agreed a three-and-a-half year deal with the Dogs worth around $750,000 per season, keeping him at Canterbury until at least the end of the 2028 season. While it’s a massive move from Canterbury to secure one of the NRL’s most talented youngsters, the signing looks set to force established starters Toby Sexton and Reed Mahoney out of the club.
Sexton is off-contract at the Bulldogs beyond 2025 and News Corp reports that the No.7 is set to leave after this season, off the back of Galvin’s signing. The writing was on the wall for Sexton even before Galvin agreed his deal with Canterbury after Bulldogs’ GM of football Phil Gould failed to guarantee his future beyond 2025. With no contract extension forthcoming at the Dogs, Sexton is set to leave for another club after this season.
Canterbury hooker Mahoney has also reportedly been told he can negotiate with rival clubs after being informed he would not be offered an extension beyond his current contract, which still has 18 months to run. It’s understood the Dogs view Bailey Hayward as their long-term No.9 in the future and Fox Sports reports that Gould and the Bulldogs have granted Mahoney’s management permission to start speaking with rival clubs immediately.
The report says the Bulldogs gave Mahoney their blessing to start speaking with other clubs provided they are kept abreast of any negotiations involving the No.9. But it will be curious to see what effect the signing of Galvin and expected departures of Mahoney and Sexton have on a Bulldogs side that is leading the comp. Veteran league journalist Phil ‘Buzz’ Rothfield has already suggested it could have a destabilising effect on the ladder-leaders.
It’s unlikely Galvin would come straight into the starting side for Canterbury, with a bench utility role a stronger possibility until he’s more settled at the club. However, there have been reports that Sexton is set to be dropped to reserve grade off the back of some weaker performances in recent weeks, culminating in Canterbury being thrashed by the Dolphins last week.
Matty Johns picks lock as Lachie Galvin’s position for Dogs
If Sexton is dropped, then Galvin could replace him at halfback for the Dogs, although the 19-year-old does not any experience in the controlling playmaker role at first-grade level. And Johns believes shifting Galvin to lock could be the best position for the youngster moving forward.
Galvin has the ball-playing ability, he’s tall and a strong defender but many critics reckon he needs time to bulk up and fill out more before he could be considered at lock. The main knock is that Galvin is not big and powerful enough to defend in the middle but Johns says he would’t have to just because he has the No.13 on his back.
We talked about it today and I said that I see him as a 13 and they said ‘yeah but he’s got to defend in the middle’ and I said ‘no he doesn’t have to defend in the middle’, Johns told SEN radio. “13’s defending in the middle has just been a phenomenon in probably the last eight to 10 years (but) traditionally the 13 defended on an edge.
The six and the 13 would split, what they’d call adjustable parts, and they’d split three in from the edge. And if you were to move Galvin into 13 at this point in his career, that’s where you’d defend him.”
