“Hypocritical” Wests Tigers players are being called out for “disgusting” treatment of their teenage teammate in a public domain.
Lachlan Galvin was axed by the Tigers this week, a day after it was revealed his agent Isaac Moses informed the club his client intended to leave after the 2026 NRL season.
In the hours that followed the news breaking, both Tigers captain Jarome Luai and gun winger Sunia Turuva posted thinly veiled swipes at Galvin on their social media pages, while Fonua Pole also liked a number of posts attacking the 19-year-old.
READ MORE: ‘Untenable’: Galvin urged to split with Tigers immediately
READ MORE: Awkward Piastri reality exposed in F1 landscape twist
READ MORE: Theory floated after ‘odd’ Broncos sight blamed for loss
League legend Greg Alexander said it amounted to bullying.
The irony is both Luai and Turuva left the Panthers this year to join the Tigers on big-money deals.
In response to the social media firestorm, league legend Phil Gould called the actions of Luai and Turuva “terrible” while Dragons coach Shane Flanagan said “players need to be careful”.
Jarome Luai and Sunia Turuva have been blasted for their treatment of Lachlan Galvin. Getty
“Those two players that have said something about Lachie looked after themselves as well, looked after themselves financially,” Flanagan told media on Wednesday.
On Wide World of Sports’ Freddy and the Eighth, both Brad Fittler and Andrew Johns took the players to task.
“I think if you asked [Luai and Turuva], they’d probably like to take that back, because they left Penrith to go to the Tigers. So it is hypocritical,” Johns said.
Watch the 2025 NRL premiership live and free on Nine and 9Now.
Angered by the social media posts, Fittler saw the players’ behaviour as a sign of inflated self-importance.
“You’ve got to say, it sort of says a lot about the club, I suppose, and with what’s going on with Lachie,” he said.
“I don’t think you would see this at Melbourne or some of the bigger clubs.
Sunia Turuva took aim at Lachlan Galvin in a social media post. Instagram
“I think over [all the] talk at the moment, it’s a really good opportunity just to say nothing and go and play footy.
“I find it quite disgusting what they’re all doing on social media. It’s terrible.”
While both Fittler and Johns accepted that Galvin wanted to leave, they were critical of his public reasoning that he could develop better as a half elsewhere.
Galvin reportedly declared that he did not believe he could reach his full potential under Benji Marshall’s coaching, despite the Tigers legend being one of the best halves the game has seen.
“I don’t mind that he’s leaving. It’s just part of the game that players move on,” Johns said.
“What I hate is the narrative that he’s moving on and they’ve bagged Benji. It is disgusting the way they’ve pushed that [story] out to further Lachlan’s career.
“He’s been a pawn in all this, I have no doubt. For a 19-year-old young man, he doesn’t need this pressure [of signing a lucrative deal].
“Benji has played over 340-odd games of NRL, he’s won a world cup, he’s won a Golden Boot and he’s played over 30-odd Tests for the Kiwis. If anyone is qualified to coach a young five-eight or half, it’s Beniji.
“Alongside him [at the Wests Tigers] is a bloke called Jarome Luai who has done it at all levels — won comps, Origins, played for Samoa.
“I find it really disrespectful the way they’ve tried to attack Benji.”
Fittler agreed that Marshall’s coaching could not be the deciding factor, given the team’s strong defensive line and Marshall’s role in instilling this.
“To come out and criticise Benji’s coaching is quite ridiculous,” he said.
Tigers players including Luai are scheduled to speak to media at midday on Thursday.
