A year on from Galvin’s Tigers bombshell, it’s time to admit the truth on Benji — Crawls

This is not an attack Lachlan Galvin the person – or the footballer he has the potential to one day be.

It’s about giving some respect to the fact Benji Marshall obviously can coach.

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It was this time last year Benji’s coaching credibility hit rock bottom when the bombshell dropped why Galvin really wanted out of Wests Tigers.

While the Tigers were prepared to offer the teenage playmaker an extraordinary $5.5 million over six years to stay at the club that gave Galvin his start, what they got in return was a giant and very public slap in the face.

Tigers fans would remember too well how their club became the laughing-stock of the league when Galvin’s management revealed how the game’s next big thing wanted to test his value on the open market – but it had nothing to do with money.

Instead, it was all to do with the fact they simply didn’t rate Benji as a coach.

In a PR war played out in the media, The Sydney Morning Herald reported on April 14 last year how “sources” claimed “Galvin believed there was a ceiling on how far he could develop at the club, especially given Marshall’s tendency to appoint former Tigers teammates as assistant coaches”.

It was a stunning insult that understandably upset and angered many across the game – not just in Tiger Town – given how the criticism was coming from an NRL rookie, only 19 at the time.

While Benji did concede in the following days that he was “disappointed” by the comments, to his credit his response was a lot more dignified.

“I think it’s obvious with his statement that it’s about development,” Marshall said, when asked how he took the criticism of his coaching.

“At the end of the day, you can’t be angry or be against someone for choosing something that they think is in their best interest.”

Fast forward 12 months and who’s laughing now, with the Tigers sitting second on the ladder heading into Sunday’s top four showdown against the Newcastle Knights.

Meanwhile, the Bulldogs got their man – but have since dropped from top spot heading into round six last year to ninth going into Thursday night’s crucial clash against the table topping Panthers.

And yet again the pressure is going to be on Galvin when he goes head-to-head with Nathan Cleary.

To put the turnaround in fortunes of the two clubs in further context, the Bulldogs were scoring an average of 38 points-a-game with Toby Sexton as halfback this time last year.

Today the Dogs are now scoring less than half as many points with Galvin now pulling the strings (an average of only 17.25 per-game).

On top of that there are all these continued dramas that seem to follow Galvin’s career at every turn, with the latest speculation that Matt Burton could be the next big name squeezed out of Belmore.

Throw in the fact Cameron Ciraldo has made no apologies for swapping Burton between five-eighth and centre in recent weeks, while Galvin continues to get the top dog treatment.

It’s like even since Phil Gould came out and said Galvin was “the best teenage footballer I’ve ever seen”, the Bulldogs have been willing to do anything and everything to make Galvin the centrepiece of the club’s future, regardless of who it upsets or pushes out in the process.

Not that I pin the blame on Galvin for this constant circus that rolls on around him.

It is just so unfortunate for a player who is still only 20 that Galvin has had to deal with so much unnecessary pressure that could have been so easily avoided.

Yet in his absence, the Tigers’ playing group hasn’t looked as united since the days when Benji was in his prime.

As for the Galvin camp’s concern that Benji couldn’t get the most out of his obvious talent, the highly rated Ciraldo is now having his own struggles.

Meanwhile, the recent form of Adam Doueihi and Jock Madden is perhaps the best insight into Benji’s developing ability.

Even with the Tigers’ marquee man Jarome Luai sidelined for the last two games, Doueihi and Madden have orchestrated a stunning upset over the Warriors, before taking down the Mitchell Moses-led Eels in a golden point thriller.

It’s been the talk of the game how well Doueihi has been playing this season (especially taking into account this bloke has had three full knee reconstructions along the way).

While Madden’s form has been surprising to say the least given that before his call up against the Warriors, the 26-year-old hadn’t played at NRL level since July, 2024.

Yet look at the way Madden held his nerve heading into the crunch period of that drama-charged Easter Monday win, and it showcased the belief Benji has instilled in the former Australian Schoolboys captain who always had the talent, if not the confidence.

I’ll put my hand up, when Benji was handed a three-year contract extension a few months back until the end of 2030, I was one of many who thought the Tigers were off their rocker thinking Benji was going to be the long-term coaching answer to pick this club up off the canvas.

But Benji has answered his critics with the best possible response – through the actions of the players who wanted to stay and play for him.

Maybe even Galvin’s camp would now concede Benji’s a better coach than most of us ever gave him credit for.