Braith Anasta has weighed in on the ongoing Lachlan Galvin saga, backing the club in their decision to let the young playmaker negotiate with rivals before June 30.
On a recent episode of NRL 360, Anasta was critical of the 19-year-old, suggesting that the Tigers have been justified in their handling of his complex contract situation.
"Do you want that for your club? Do you want that part of your team? Do you want to play next to that guy?" he asked.
"You know what, see you later. I don’t see any issue with it, I think the club has taken the right stance.
"We can say the manager has won and he has and it’s not good and we shouldn’t allow this, but the Tigers had to go in and say ‘see you later’.
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“I don’t have an issue with what they’ve done, I don’t think they’ve lost, I think they could prove to have won at the end of all this.
“Get rid of him. At the end of the day, this team, this club, is bigger than one player.”
Since informing the Tigers of his intention to reject any offer to extend his stay in Concord, the circumstances around Galvin have put the team in turmoil.
Anasta is of the opinion that cutting ties at this point in the season may be the best thing for coach Benji Marshall and his playing group.
"They’ve lost the last two weeks, you’ve got to say that’s got a lot to do with what’s happened here with this huge distraction. This came from nowhere," he said.
"This was a curveball from management and his team and their team, which really unsettled and derailed a club that was on the rise.
"They gave him a chance over the last couple of weeks, they got beaten 64-0 and he lost the ball over the line to win them the game on the weekend.
"Look at what Benji is doing, look at the players that were thriving."
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Anasta debuted at 18-years-of-age himself, however, his sympathies were for the club and not the second-year playmaker.
"I want to feel sorry for him, but I feel sorry for the Tigers more and I feel sorry for the fans," he said.
"I feel sorry for the position they’re in now, when only five or six weeks ago, everything was flying and they were looking great and the season had turned around.
“They’ve been through hell this club for a long time now.”