Congratulations to Wests Tigers five-eighth Lachlan Galvin on being awarded the Rugby League Players Association Rookie of the Year for 2024.
Galvin enjoyed a remarkable first season in the NRL, playing 21 of a possible 24 games and starting each of them in the No.6 jumper.
By the end of the regular season, Lachlan scored four tries, had 16 try assists and averaged 130 running metres per game.
Galvin's Players’ Rookie of the Year win means a Wests Tigers player has won the award in consecutive years, following Jahream Bula’s player-voted win in 2023.
It was clear from his debut match against Canberra in Round 2 that the then 18-year-old Galvin was ready for the big time.
He helped create Samuela Fainu’s maiden NRL try in that loss to the Raiders, and the pair went on to form a potent left-edge combination as the season progressed.
A two-game suspension for a hip-drop tackle against the Eels in Round 4 saw Galvin miss his team’s narrow losses to the Dolphins and Dragons respectively.
The only other game he would miss in his rookie season was the Round 15 win over the Titans at Leichhardt, when a hand injury saw him rested and forced to watch from the sideline.
Always a threat with ball in hand, Galvin quickly became a crowd favourite.
Effortlessly putting players into space and chalking up try assists for fun, it wasn’t until Round 16 that he would cross for his first NRL four-pointer.
Galvin's big game vs Raiders
In fact, he scored not once, but twice in the 48-24 thumping of the Raiders and how fitting it was that his first tries at NRL level were scored on his home deck at Campbelltown.
Galvin was one of 12 players who made their NRL debut with Wests Tigers in 2024, a season which saw the most debutants in the club’s 25-year history.
Of the dozen first-timers, Galvin was the first of five local juniors to get a crack in the top grade.
He would later be joined by three other southwest juniors, Luke Laulilii, Heath Mason and Jordan Miller, all of whom were Wests Magpies teammates in the 2022 premiership-winning Harold Matthews Cup team.
Wests Tigers captain Api Koroisau says Galvin thoroughly deserves this award.
“Lachlan has done so well in a year that was very difficult overall for the team,” said Koroisau.
He is such a tough kid and no matter what happened, he kept turning up, week after week and game after game.
Api Koroisau
“It is great to see his talent and performances be recognised by players from other teams with this Rookie of the Year award. I could not be prouder of him as a captain, teammate and friend.
“To see Jahream win this same award last year and Lachlan this year, we are happy to see a bright future with these great young players at our club.”
Parramatta Eels centre Rory Owen was voted the RLPA NRLW Rookie of the Year.
Previous Winners of the Players’ Rookie of the Year:
● 2023 Annessa Biddle & Jahream Bula
● 2022 Gayle Broughton & Jeremiah Nanai
● 2021 Destiny Brill & Reece Walsh
● 2020 Harry Grant
● 2019 Payne Haas
● 2018 Victor Radley
● 2017 Nick Cotric
● 2016 Cody Walker
● 2015 Cameron Munster
● 2014 Luke Brooks
● 2013 George Burgess
● 2012 Josh Mansour & Adam Reynolds
● 2011 Daly Cherry-Evans
● 2010 Trent Hodkinson
● 2009 Josh Dugan
● 2008 David Williams
● 2007 Michael Jennings
● 2006 Darius Boyd
● 2005 Ben Smith
