There are plenty of ways a club can telegraph its ambitions heading into a new NRL season. Canterbury-Bankstown have chosen an unusual one: silence. Specifically, the conspicuous silence surrounding one Lachlan Galvin, the 20-year-old half who arrived mid-season last year from the Wests Tigers amid a storm of headlines and spent much of his debut campaign weathering criticism that would have broken older and more experienced players.
In Las Vegas, where all four clubs preparing for the NRL's opening round are paraded before the cameras and the global spotlight, Galvin is the single player from any squad deemed off limits to the media. He will not be wheeled in front of microphones any time soon, if the Bulldogs have anything to say about it. And given how last season unfolded for the young playmaker, his club's instinct to protect him looks less like overprotection and more like good management.
Prop Max King, speaking to reporters this week, put it plainly. Phil Gould and coach Cameron Ciraldo are not in the business of making things harder for their own players, he said. But King was also quick to point out that the decision to limit Galvin's media exposure was not born of any fragility. "He's as tough as nails," King said. "All the criticism he's copped in his first few years, most players wouldn't get that their entire career. It's a credit to him the way he handles himself."
King added that Galvin had been the standout performer across the pre-season. "He's been awesome. He's been best on ground." High praise from a forward who has seen plenty of pre-seasons come and go.
Back rower Jacob Preston, who will line up on Galvin's right edge when the Bulldogs face the Dragons this weekend, shared the sentiment. Preston said the volume of media scrutiny Galvin faced last year was "crazy" by any measure, and that the young half had handled it with a composure that impressed the whole squad. "I can't wait to get out there with him," Preston said. "He leads the way with his fitness, he goes after everything, and he's improving every aspect of his game."
The comparisons being drawn around the competition are instructive. King noted that even Nathan Cleary, arguably the best halfback in the game over recent seasons, still attracts critics who question his ability to deliver at State of Origin level. The lesson the Bulldogs are drawing from that is not that scrutiny is unfair, but that the great ones learn to carry it. Canterbury's job is simply not to add unnecessary weight.
That said, the opposition is not planning to treat Galvin gently once the whistle blows. St George Illawarra back rower Luciano Leilua was candid in his assessment, telling reporters this week that while Galvin is "a freakish young player" with a strong kicking game, the Dragons intend to "get into him physically." Preston said Galvin would hold his own.
Ciraldo himself has been measured in discussing what the pre-season has delivered for Galvin specifically, though his broader comments carry a clear subtext. "Not every session has been perfect," the coach said, "but the way they've learned and executed better the next day, that's been the most impressive thing." His comments on Galvin's combination with halves partner Matt Burton suggest a partnership still being refined, but one heading in the right direction.
The broader picture for Canterbury-Bankstown heading into 2026 is one of genuine expectation. They are, by most assessments, the only club in Las Vegas with a realistic push for the premiership. After crashing out to Penrith in last year's semi-finals, there is unfinished business. Ciraldo acknowledged the hype directly, and welcomed it: "If we can't deal with the hype now, we're not much chance of being there at the end of the year."
He spoke warmly of the blue and white jerseys lining the Las Vegas Strip, the fan turnout at a recent fan day, and the scale of a club he admitted he did not fully understand until he arrived. The occasion carries real weight for Canterbury supporters who have waited a long time for mornings like these.
As first reported by the Sydney Morning Herald, Galvin's media blackout is a deliberate strategy, not an accident. Whether it pays off will depend on what happens between the white lines this weekend. But if the pre-season testimony of his own teammates is anything to go by, the young man the NRL could not stop talking about last year has spent the summer making himself into something the competition genuinely needs to worry about.
The kind of quiet that precedes something loud.