Cryptic comments from Bulldogs general manager Phil Gould on the club’s future plans with in-form half Toby Sexton has “reopened” the door for Lachlan Galvin to potentially sign with the Dogs.
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It’s been a month since Galvin announced he wouldn’t re-sign with the Tigers. Since, the teen sensation has been heavily linked with an eventual move to the Eels at the end of the 2026 season.
The Bulldogs were another team that were linked to Galvin before they reportedly pulled out of the race.
At a press conference on Tuesday, Gould confirmed to deny if the club were negotiating a new deal with Sexton.
“Toby’s on a journey of development. We’re working with Toby and we’ll worry about the roster later,” Gould said.
Those comments caused NRL360 panel to wonder whether it meant the club was looking at Galvin.
“When Galvin wanted a release from the Tigers, the first club the Tigers thought he was going to was the Bulldogs and the Tigers are still of that opinion,” veteran journalist Andrew Webster revealed on NRL360.
“But what Gus is saying publicly might be to throw off everybody and what he’s saying to Toby Sexton privately could be different altogether.”
NRL360 co-host Braith Anasta added: “It’s a mystery. He’s not endorsing Sexton. He could have easily re-signed him by now, probably should have. I think they would have if they wanted him long term.
“To me, it kind of reopens the door to Galvin. There’s no confirmation he’s going to Parramatta.
“I just think when the Galvin news broke, I see Sexton not getting re-signed, and Gus loves him (Galvin).
“When there was a chance of him going there, they spoke about him playing lock and they were interested but they said they weren’t.
“All of a sudden, it’s gone quiet. Everyone just assumes he’s going to the Eels but the Bulldogs still haven’t signed Sexton and Galvin still hasn’t committed to anywhere. Is there a chance he still lands at the Dogs?”
“There’s every chance,” foxsports.com.au’s Paul Crawley responded.
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It has been reported that the reasons behind Galvin wanting to leave the Tigers is due to coaching and because he doesn’t think he’ll develop the best he can at the club.
While Parramatta are the red-hot favourites to land Galvin, Crawley and Anasta believe the Bulldogs make far more sense if the reports for why he’s keen to leave the Tigers are true.
“It ticks a lot of boxes. When the story he comes out he wants a coach, well Ciraldo’s the coach,” Crawley said.
“And his former mentor at Westfields Sports High (Luke Vella) is an assistant coach at the Bulldogs.
“Parramatta is sitting dead last on the ladder. It doesn’t make sense”
“I just think there’s something going on,” Anasta said.
“If he goes to the Bulldogs and he takes less money and goes to Cameron Ciraldo, it’s everything that Isaac Moses and his team says he wanted. That’s what they were saying from day one.”
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