NRL 2025: Wests Tigers plans to keep Lachlan Galvin, Tallyn Da Silva amid Gus Gould links, Raiders Jamal Fogarty contract clause, Jason Ryles problems, James Hooper column

The Wests Tigers must be gearing up to offer young guns Lachlan Galvin and Tallyn Da Silva monster upgrades given the way rival clubs are beginning to circle leading up to November 1.

Dylan Brown’s $13 million deal with the Knights means the Parramatta Eels will be armed with a war chest for 2026 and beyond but we’re tipping the Eels won’t be the only ones in the queue trying to turn the heads of the Tigers rookies.

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It’s interesting to note Bulldogs king pin Phil Gould has recently broken bread with player agent Isaac Moses whose company is managing the Galvin negotiations.

For a long period of time Gould was staying wide of dealing with Moses.

Gus has also been glowing in his praise of Wests Tigers five-eighth Galvin since the teenager’s debut season in the NRL last year.

Without question Galvin will be the next emerging half in the NRL to sign a monster multimillion deal the only question is does he stay at the Wests Tigers or land at a rival club.

If the Wests Tigers are serious they should just throw a five-year $6 million deal at Galvin.

That might seem like overs but given he’s already signed until the end of 2026 at least it means every other club has to really sharpen the pencil to try and turn his head and compete for his signature.

The other player Wests Tigers CEO Shane Richardson must get the cheque book out to try and retain is emerging hooker Tallyn Da Silva.

Both Galvin and Da Silva are Wests Tigers local juniors who featured in the Western Suburbs premiership-winning Harrold Matthews side of 2022.

Both are signed with Wests Tigers until the end of 2026 but given their rapid development the Tigers must do everything they can to try and build the club around these two stars of the future.

The one thing working in the Tigers’ favour is they have the remainder of the year until November 1 to try and convince them to stay rather than go to the open market.

RAIDERS TIPPED TO EXTEND FOGARTY AMID CLAUSE DEADLINE

The Canberra Raiders intend to extend the contract of experienced halfback Jamal Fogarty after the Green Machine’s electric start to the new season.

Fogarty has a clause in his contract the club needs to activate before round six to ensure he will remain a Raider in 2026.

Raiders coach Ricky Stuart has spoken publicly at length about how a huge part of Fogarty’s legacy in the national capital will be ushering through Canberra’s next generation of halves in Ethan Strange and Ethan Sanders.

The young gun Raiders duo have even drawn comparisons with when Stuart and champion Raiders five-eighth Laurie Daley emerged on the scene in the late 1980s and went on to dominate for a decade.

There’s no question the NSW under 19s halves from the victorious 2023 State of Origin series both have huge futures in the game.

Raiders coach Stuart has also shown a real knack for how to handle emerging players with the likes of Xavier Savage, Hudson Young, Matt Timoko, Strange and Kaeo Weekes all taking off over the course of the last five seasons.

Fogarty, 31, joined the Raiders in 2023 and has impressed everyone at the club with his leadership, composure on the field and off-field demeanour.

Fogarty’s contract with the Raiders has a club option which needs to be activated before round six or a player option which needs to be activated before round 20.

We’re tipping the Raiders will get a deal done with Fogarty in the near future meaning the experienced halfback will continue to help with the development of young guns Strange and Sanders.

OF COURSE THERE’S A BUNNIES-CHOOKS TIFF

True to form there’s a standoff shaping up between the Sydney Roosters and South Sydney over the immediate future of Brandon Smith.

The Bunnies have made it known they’re quite happy to accommodate Smith prior to June 30 but they’ve only got $150,000 available in terms of salary cap space for 2025.

But in the latest twist to be added to the Book of Feuds the Roosters won’t be budging and have made it clear they intend to retain Smith for the remainder of the season.

Smith is due back from ACL and MCL ailments in July with the Chooks outlining how they intend to use his services at the back end of the season.

The Chooks have previously discussed chipping in for Smith to shift to their arch-rivals at Heffron Park prior to June 30 but the thinking has shifted since the Kiwi Test forward officially announced he was joining the Bunnies.

The Roosters have NSW State of Origin hooker Reece Robson arriving for next season so told Smith early doors they would refrain from re-signing him beyond 2025.

RYLES LEFT TO CLEAN UP PARRA MESS

You have to feel for Parramatta coach Jason Ryles. The distraction around Dylan Brown’s decision to join Newcastle next season can’t have been an easy issue to navigate for a first-year NRL head coach.

Remember Ryles knocked back the St George Illawarra coaching job 12 months prior to taking on the Eels gig because he had reservations about the Red V’s front office.

But it’s the Eels front office which has thrown Ryles the curve ball of the Brown scenario by allowing the playmaker to have a get out clause in what was trumpeted as a nine-year deal until the end of 2031.

In reality with the get out clauses it wasn’t a nine-year deal at all.

That’s not on Ryles. But the first-year coach is the one who’s going to have to clean up the mess.

IS THIS THE BUY OF 2025?

The South Sydney Rabbitohs have unearthed the buy of the season in halfback Jamie Humphreys who is on a deal worth only $180,000-a-year.

Compare that to the $13 million ten-year deal Dylan Brown has signed with Newcastle for 2026 and it quickly puts things into context.

Humphreys’ classy all-round kicking game and willingness to run the ball and work both sides of the field with halves partner Cody Walker have been super impressive in his two NRL games this season.

It throws up the question of what will happen to Souths marquee signing for this season in Lewis Dodd once the Englishman returns from a calf strain sustained in NSW Cup last weekend.

The Bunnies have invested around $650,000-a-season in Dodd on a three-year deal and there’s no question the club needs to try and get the Englishman to recapture his best form.

The trouble is Humphreys is as impressive off the field and he is on it and if he continues to evolve in the NRL it’s going to be hard for Dodd to find a place in the side.

It seems like nothing phases Humphreys as we saw by how cool he was piloting the field goal to upstage the Dragons in round two.