The Lachie Galvin situation has comfortably passed awkward, rounded the corner at getting a little uncomfortable and now firmly arrived at destination distasteful.
Frankly, we are all probably a little sick of hearing about it, as the Dogs and Eels reportedly enter a battle to gain the services of the 19-year-old, ASAP!
Phil Gould will have it sorted, despite the potential disruption caused to the humming machine that the Bulldogs have been thus far this season, Thursday night aside.
Parramatta will huff and puff, yet the attraction that the Bulldogs has now become would only see a madman or one with eyes only on dollars, knock back Canterbury for certain short-term pain with Parramatta and a coach who is finding his feet early in his tenure.
All the noise around Galvin’s future has been loud and constant, yet perhaps overlooks the three-year extension given to Isaiya Katoa in late March of 2024, with the Penrith junior’s play suggesting he could well be the more valuable asset in the long term.
After another strong performance against the Bulldogs on Thursday night, Katoa has the statistics alongside his name in 2025 to argue that Galvin’s expected automatic rise to being of the best players in the NRL, whether that ends up being in the halves or at the back of the scrum, has some people under-appreciating what the 21-year-old is doing with the Dolphins.
There are a heck of a lot of players to pass before Galvin is anywhere near that status, and Katoa is already well ahead of him after just 56 games at the top level. Hindsight could well show that the Dolphins locked up a similarly gifted player without all the current drama surrounding what is a poorly managed kid.
Lachlan Galvin of the Wests Tigers. Will it be worth the while for the team that eventually lands him? (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)
Katoa is displaying equal and if not more upside than Galvin, in a much quieter way and almost certainly has a better understanding of the words loyalty and team. That makes the Tiger something of a risk and one a few clubs might baulk at if given the chance.
As for Katoa, there is simply no risk whatsoever. The half has played every minute of 2025 to this point and his play is rooted in the simple fundamental of engaging the defensive line and asking it serious questions.
Averaging 10.3 line engagements per game, Katoa has daylight running second to him in that statistic, with 8.5 the next best. Once the line has been engaged, the results have then been impressive.
He sits 13th in the NRL for average try assists with 10 and has eight line break assists which ranks him inside the top 20 in the competition. Katoa has been busy with ball in hand, sitting just outside the top 50 for average runs with 15.9 per game and when combined with the engagement figure, clearly a man defences are used to seeing plenty of.
Isaiya Katoa engaging the line against the Sea Eagles. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
He is kicking well and inside the top five for average kick metres and has eight forced drop-outs to his name, despite the Dolphins taking a little time to get going this season and their attacking patterns and shape developing under the new coach.
Katoa has managed 10 off-loads to promote second-phase play and combined with the kick, run and ball-playing threat he offers, the numbers suggest an all-round player capable of keeping opposition defenders guessing and slightly off balance.
Whether Galvin offers that same threat in a play-making role is still to be proven, and a potential switch to the Dogs and a role in the No.7 jersey would set up something relatively close to a direct comparison, with his ability to steer a side not assured according to many good judges.
As relative lightweights by modern NRL standards, both Katoa and Galvin have defensive issues. Targeted often, they always will. Yet neither will be the first little man to be critiqued and exposed by men 20-odd kilos heavier.
As two of the most talented and promising young halves to hit the scene over the last few seasons, their signatures will have been enquired about numerous times over. Katoa locked away his medium term future briskly, extended to 2028 and avoided all the nonsense that currently surrounds Galvin.
Personally, I think I would prefer the former approach and also the player. Galvin has a long way to go to turn potential into productivity.
Stuart Thomashttps://https://ift.tt/4ne0pPB in demand but Dolphins will get better value after locking Katoa away long term – and greater loyalty too
إرسال تعليق