Benji Marshall is seemingly fed up with talking. The Wests Tigers coach made that crystal clear on Saturday when pressed about his shock recall of Lachlan Galvin, just a week after dropping the young playmaker amid a contract standoff.
Speaking ahead of the Tigers' clash with the Sharks, Marshall stonewalled reporters probing the reasoning behind Galvin’s return to the side. “I’m sick of talking about that,” he said straightaway.
“I said it every week. I’ll pick the team that I think is best. We’ve moved on. Focusing on the game this week. We’ve just got to get the win.”
‘You don’t need to ask’
Galvin’s sudden reinstatement, following a stint in reserve grade and speculation about his future at the club, has raised more than a few eyebrows. But Marshall, growing increasingly irritable, refused to explain further.
“Everyone wants to know why I picked the team — you don’t need to know why,” he said. “I picked the team that I think is best for us this week, and we’ll go with that.”
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When a journalist pointed out that fans might want more clarity, Marshall wasn’t budging. “You don’t need to ask. I just told you. I picked the team that I think is best for this week.”
Asked directly what Galvin brought to the side, Marshall kept it brief. “We’re excited. Obviously, combination-wise with the spine, that will be good this week,” he said. “But we just want him to play his natural game, as we do for everyone else.”
The 19-year-old five-eighth’s turbulent fortnight included a demotion and a wave of media attention. Despite the pressure, Marshall praised Galvin’s maturity.
“He’s in our team. We’re expecting him to do his usual thing and play the way he plays,” Marshall said. “He handled it really well, went back to reserve grade last week, put in a really good trying performance, tried really hard, had a really good attitude.”
The Tigers are hoping for a strong response at Leichhardt Oval, with Marshall adding: “There’s a lot for us to celebrate this week… just move on and get on with our footy.”