It was far from the start to the season the Wests Tigers wanted but for debutant playmaker Lachie Galvin it was a "dream come true".
Galvin, who played alongside Jayden Sullivan in the first half and Aidan Sezer in the second, revealed after Saturday's 32-12 loss in Canberra how coach Benji Marshall had spoken to him about his own debut as an 18-year-old in 2003.
More than two decades later, Marshall was making his NRL coaching debut and the teenager in the same No.6 jersey he wore for most of his career was a new beacon of hope for Wests Tigers fans.
As Galvin celebrated his special moment running on to GIO Stadium on Saturday afternoon, the 18-year-old Campbelltown junior couldn’t wipe the smile from his face.
Still buzzing in the sheds despite a tough day out against the Raiders, Galvin said he was hungry for more after getting his first taste of life in the NRL.
“Today was a dream come true, getting this opportunity so young is so special. I can’t believe it, like five months ago I was still in school,” Galvin told NRL.com following the match.
“I just had a massive smile on my face [running out], that’s probably the best feeling I’ve ever felt.
“A few months ago I was watching these guys on the TV, wishing I could be there so running out and seeing all those boys, it’s unreal.
Not a bad debut for Lachlan Galvin
“But Benji talked to me about how we was 18 and when he made his debut and that helped me feel confident that I was ready.
“He just told me to go out there and whatever I’ve done to get to this point keep doing because that’s what’s working…Hopefully I held my own.”
The first-up loss no doubt dampened Marshall’s debut in the hot seat but the rookie coach didn’t have to look far for positives with 18-year-old Galvin showing plenty of promising signs in his first game on the big stage.
Running 174 metres from 14 runs with the ball, busting three tackle and producing some nice touches off the boot, the Australian Schoolboys representative continually threatened the Raiders defensive line.
“He didn’t let anyone down …he just played footy and did his job,” Marshall said.
“He had some really nice touches and that’s what we saw in him and why we picked him.
“We’ll pick every week which team we think is best for that week and if we think Lachie is the best option then we’ll go with him.”
Galvin was faced with no shortage of challenges in his 80-minute stint in Canberra, with a surprise shift to the right side of the field following Marshall's decision to swap Sullivan for Sezer in the 54th minute.
A refreshingly open Benji Marshall ready for Wests Tigers first 2024 outing
The towering teen knows the race to be Wests Tigers halves pairing is still wide open and he expects the competition to heat up at Concord ahead of Saturday's clash with the Sharks.
“I wasn’t expecting the change, they just told me to get on the right side so I went on there but whatever Benji wanted I’m happy to do for him,” Galvin said.
“I tried to just play my game, my style of footy and not overthink it but our execution probably wasn’t up to standard.
“We all just try and talk and listen to one another when we’re out there and when we want to do something just call it. There wasn’t really one of us in particular taking the lead we both just tried to play footy.
“We have a good group there. We’re all really good mates and we push each other on the training paddock and it’s probably good for us because it helps us train even better.”
Marshall said the change was made in the hope Sezer’s experience and composure could inspire a comeback when his side was 12 points down but that remained too large a task.
“I just said to Aidan before the game that there was no real plan for you it was just going to depend on what we needed,” Marshall said following his side’s 32-12 loss to the Raiders.
"At that point in the game I thought we needed a little bit more organisation and a bit of experience.
“It was a big ask for him to go on there down 12 points and turn it around and unfortunately we couldn’t get it done.
“We have to address why we got to 14-0 and we’ve got a room full of guys that are disappointed with the result.
“It’s the start of our season, we all probably expected a little but more from each other and expected better but at the same time we need to move forward.”
This article contains content that is only available on NRL.com