‘Perfect’: Eels take early lead to sign wantaway Galvin

Parramatta has very quickly taken the lead in the still-emerging race for Lachlan Galvin, with the Eels very eager to plug the 19-year-old young gun in alongside Mitchell Moses as quickly as they can.

It all emerged on Monday that Galvin would be leaving the Wests Tigers at the end of 2026 after turning down a deal worth upwards of $6 million through to the 2031 season.

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While the 19-year-old can’t formally sign anything until November 1 this year — when he is officially in free agency — several NRL organisations have already been getting things together and informally sounding out future options.

In the lead right now, The Sporting Base understands, is the last-placed Eels.

Manly and Canterbury have also been suggested as destinations; the Sea Eagles said “no” today.

Parramatta loves the idea of signing Galvin as a ready-made replacement for star five-eighth Dylan Brown, who will now be leaving at the end of the year after agreeing to play for the Newcastle Knights for the next 10 years. The fact that Galvin supported the Eels as a kid is also sweetening everything for the club as it gets its papers in order.

Galvin was a Western Suburbs junior then played for the Eels in the Harold Matthews Cup.

Also colouring things is the fact Galvin’s agent, Isaac Moses, is Mitch Moses’ cousin.

Should the Eels win the race (which is most definitely still just opening up) then Galvin should be available to join in 2027. Tigers boss Shane Richardson has already insisted Wests would not be releasing the teen before his contract expires at the end of 2026.

Benji did drop the 19-year-old in this week’s Tigers team list though, suggesting an early exit may be on the cards if Wests can get a trade back the other way — or even just cash in the pocket would work.

On Tuesday, Galvin declared: “Any suggestion I already have a deal done at another club for 2027 is simply not true.”

Parra legend Brett Kenny today said the signing would be “perfect” for the struggling Eels.