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Lachlan Galvin is sitting in a suburban dressing room surrounded by the sights, smells and sounds of rugby league.
Wests Tigers CEO Shane Richardson, when working as a rival CEO, more than once hosed down his players in the same Leichhardt Oval sheds because the Eighth wonder’s hot water wasn’t running.
Galvin has showered and changed into club polo and dress shoes but went without socks, incoming stench and blisters not a concern.
Fair enough too. After the most tumultuous two weeks of his career when he has been back page and bulletin-leading news most every single day, not to mention clickbait gold and social media fodder, the kid couldn’t care less.
Even with recorders and phones shoved right under his nose, right now it seems there’s nowhere Galvin would rather be.
These rundown Leichhardt Oval sheds, ripe with Dencorub and littered with strapping tape, mud and grass make for winning sheds – the happiest place in all of rugby league.
Happy place: Lachlan Galvin is all smiles and back in the Wests Tigers fold.Credit: NRL Imagery
Assistant coach Brett Hodgson inhales hot chips while fellow 2005 premiership winner Chris Heighington cracks gags. Kids roam here and there.
A Tigers staffer watches on ready to hose down any question deemed too spicy.
Again, fair enough. For now at least. The time will come for this 19-year-old prodigy to front up to the NRL’s biggest contract saga in years.
The legal letter delivered to the club on his behalf detailing bullying allegations – which does limit what can be said publicly. The dossier of complaints about Benji Marshall’s coaching. His relationship with senior teammates. His manager Isaac Moses’s handling of it all. His axing and recall. His future.
Lachlan Galvin (left) celebrates with Tigers teammates Api Koroisau, Fonua Pole and Sunia Turuva in the Leichhardt Oval sheds.Credit: Jane Mortimer/Wests Tigers
For now though, after Adam Doueihi’s golden-point match-winner and one of the most dramatic wins in Tigers history, the kid is just happy to be in the Leichhardt sheds.
Sure beats Lidcombe Oval – 16 kilometres west, six days in the rearview, a grade below the NRL with all that entails – and the 500-odd hardy fans Galvin played in front of last week, along with his own personal security guard to keep inquisitive media at bay.
“I’ll be honest, I’d rather be here than at Lidcombe on a Sunday,” Galvin said from the turf as the sold-out crowd first revelled, then slowly filed out into the night.
“You run out in front of those fans and it’s amazing. The atmosphere is mad. Obviously, I want to play NRL week-in, week-out and to get the win tonight in front of them was amazing.”
The Leichhardt faithful pack in for Lachlan Galvin’s NRL return.Credit: Steven Siewert
Marshall spoke with Galvin before kick-off about a potentially rough reception from Tigers fans. A smattering of jeers did greet the wantaway teen when his name was first read out. The Tigers DJ did his best to smother them playing some inane song as Galvin ran out for the team warm-up, but he needn’t have bothered.
The overwhelming cheers did the job from the first whistle. Even if a dicey kick-off into a howling southerly threatened to make his first touch an inglorious fumble.
When he and Luai put any drama aside to combine and set up the Tigers first try, all was right. And for 80 minutes, forgotten.
“I don’t really get nervous. I just go out excited to play rugby league,” Galvin said.
“I have a great support group. At the end of the day, all I want to do is play rugby league. That’s why I live, to be honest. The best time of my life is the 80 minutes I play each week.
Lachlan Galvin and Jarome Luai on Sunday.Credit: Steven Siewert
“That’s all I want to do – play NRL and play great footy – and that’s all I really focused on these last two weeks. It’s been pretty difficult but my focus has been getting to training each week and to keep working hard.”
Sitting in those Leichhardt sheds, thoroughly exhausted after his first extra-time game, the toil of Galvin and his teammates hung in the air.
Relief was palpable. Not just because Galvin’s effort to bring down Cronulla prop Tom Hazelton when he was tryline-bound was one of several match-saving defensive plays from the Tigers.
“I just thought ‘close your eyes, go for his legs and do your best’,” Galvin grinned.
“I was very stoked to get him, to be honest. We did a lot of that tonight. A lot of effort, a lot of scramble plays from all of the boys, not just me.
“That’s what we’re basing our game on at the moment, effort plays and grinding teams out. Kudos to all the boys, they showed up tonight.”
And a quiet seat in the Leichhardt sheds, surrounded by the sights, sounds and smells of rugby league – reward enough for Galvin and the Tigers. For now at least.
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