The bust-up between Wests Tigers and teenaged star Lachlan Galvin has saturated NRL media coverage this week, with the playmaker informing the club he will not be there beyond 2026.
The Tigers, in turn, dropped Galvin ahead of their Round 7 fixture – ostensibly due to a group of senior players not wanting him in the team – as the prospects of him seeing out his current deal spiral.
From the bitter to the bizarre, relive some of rugby league’s high-profile mid-season exits with Galvin’s days at the Tigers apparently numbered.
Doug Laughton
One of Britain’s premier forwards with St Helens, Wigan and Widnes, 1970 Ashes-winning tourist Laughton was a prized signing for Canterbury-Bankstown in 1974 and was immediately installed as captain.
But after just five first-grade games, Laughton abruptly walked out on the club after being dumped as skipper. The Berries went on to make the grand final without the high-profile import. Laughton later returned to Australia as the 35-year-old Lions captain.
Julian O’Neill
Sacked by Brisbane at the end of 1995 after the latest of a long line of off-field misdemeanours, brilliant utility-back O’Neill resurrected his career with Western Reds in 1996 and was selected in the Super League Australia side following a sensational start to ’97.
But further misbehaviour made his position with the Reds untenable and he crossed the Super League-ARL divide midway through the season, thrown a lifeline by South Sydney.
After just two games for the Rabbitohs, O’Neill was drafted into the Queensland Origin team. But the rest of his stay at Souths and subsequent stints with North Queensland and Widnes were similarly plagued by erratic behaviour.
Allan Langer
Not so much controversial as shocking, Langer shocked the rugby league world when he announced his immediate retirement just eight rounds into Brisbane’s disastrous start to its NRL title defence.
The tearful Broncos icon and captain cited a lack of motivation for his decision, but by the end of the year he had signed a deal with Super League club Warrington. ‘Alfie’ memorably made a triumphant Origin comeback in 2001 and was superb in a one-off return season with the Broncos in 2002.
Solomon Haumono
Former Manly wrecking ball Haumono represented Super League Australia and NSW in 1997 after joining Canterbury, but the Tongan powerhouse dominated headlines mid-1998 when he went AWOL to Britain to join supermodel girlfriend Gabrielle ‘The Pleasure Machine’ Richens.
Haumono later admitted it was a ploy to force the Bulldogs to rip up his contract, which he duly did. He joined Balmain in 1999 and linked with St George Illawarra in 2000, but by July of the latter year he had embarked on a professional boxing career.
Haumono rejoined rugby league’s ranks with stints for the Sea Eagles (2003-04) and London Broncos (2005-06).
Anthony Mundine
St George Illawarra five-eighth Mundine was one of the NRL’s supreme individual talents and at the height of his powers as he led the joint venture to a grand final in its first season.
But ‘The Man’ would play just 10 more games of rugby league, sensationally walking out on the Dragons midway through 2000 to pursue what would be a long and successful pro boxing career – though the outspoken one was never too far away from the rugby league headlines.
Nathan Blacklock
One of the great entertainers, Dragons winger Blacklock was the premiership’s top tryscorer each season from 1999-2001. Though NSW honours eluded him, ‘Tingha’ debuted for Australia at the end of 2001.
Following another Blues snubbing in 2002, however, Blacklock sought a mid-season release to play rugby union with the Waratahs.
He produced some memorable highlights in a brief 15-a-side stint, ultimately returning to the Saints midway through 2003 and finishing with the elite record of 121 tries in 142 top-grade games.
Chris Walker
Quicksilver Broncos and Maroons three-quarter Walker accepted a big-money offer to join battlers Souths in 2003.
The disgruntled flyer lasted just five games with the Rabbitohs, however, agitating for a release and linking with Sydney Roosters, who he turned out for in the 2003-04 grand finals.
Further Origin honours would elude Walker, though, with injuries plaguing subsequent seasons with the Roosters, Storm, Titans and Eels.
Jamie Lyon
A Kangaroos debutant as a 19-year-old and a NSW incumbent heading into the 2004 season, Lyon stunned Parramatta by walking out on his contract just one game into the campaign.
Lyon went home to Wee Waa for the rest of the year and played bush footy, before linking with St Helens and winning the 2005 Man of Steel award.
‘Killer’ returned to the NRL with Manly, where he played over 200 games and captained two grand final triumphs.
Ali Lauitiiti
Big, fast and boasting breathtaking ball skills, Warriors game-breaker Ali Lauitiiti was named Dally M Second-rower of the Year as he helped spearhead the club’s historic capture of the minor premiership and grand final charge in 2002.
Injury slowed his roll in 2003, but he nevertheless shaped as a key pillar in the Warriors’ plans the following season. But Lauitiiti played just five games in 2004 before falling out with coach Daniel Anderson and leaving to join Super League outfit Leeds.
After a decorated 200-game tenure with the Rhinos, he played four seasons at Wakefield Trinity then returned to the Warriors at NSW Cup level in 2016.
Sonny Bill Williams
Arguably the most divisive, dramatic and newsreel-dominating walkout in rugby league history, megastar forward Williams was less than two seasons into a five-year deal when he bailed on the Bulldogs in July 2008.
SBW, under the guidance of controversial player manager Khoder Nasser, had already skipped to Europe by the time Bulldogs officials knew of his exit. He joined French rugby union club Toulon before winning Super Rugby titles with the Chiefs and a World Cup with the All Blacks.
Williams returned to the NRL to win a premiership with the Roosters in 2013, then won another Rugby World Cup in 2015.
Todd Carney
Precocious Canberra playmaker Carney’s career was stopped in its tracks in 2008 after a spate of off-field indiscretions. The finals-bound Raiders ultimately sacked Carney before then end of the season and he was deregistered by the NRL.
Returning to the NRL in 2010 with Sydney Roosters via bush team Atherton Roosters, Carney won the Dally M Medal, led the club to a grand final and represented Australia in a spectacular renaissance. He debuted for NSW after joining Cronulla in 2012.
But midway through 2014, Carney had his contract terminated again after the infamous ‘Bubbler’ photo of the wayward star circulated on social media. Carney played three seasons in the Super League but was controversially denied the opportunity to return to the NRL.
Tim Smith
Gold Coast-born halfback Smith’s boundless talent was countered by frequent off-field trouble and then-undisclosed health issues.
The 2005 Dally M Rookie of the Year guided Parramatta to another preliminary final in 2007, but he was given indefinite leave from the game just three games into 2008 after informing teammates of his battle with bipolar disorder.
Smith resurfaced with Wigan later in 2008. A return to the NRL with Cronulla did not pan out as hoped, while a subsequent stint at Wakefield Trinity (via Salford) unravelled amid further misconduct.
Jackson Hastings
The highly-rated son of Roosters great Kevin Hastings, young playmaker Jackson had already endured a fractious exit from Bondi by the time he arrived at Manly in 2017.
After cementing a bench spot with the Sea Eagles early in 2018, Hastings was involved in an off-field flare-up with captain Daly Cherry-Evans and demoted to NSW Cup.
By the end of June, Hastings had secured a release from Manly and joined Super League outfit Salford. He made his way back to the NRL via a season at Wests Tigers in 2022 before joining Newcastle.
George Williams
A three-time Super League title winner with Wigan, halfback Williams arrived at Canberra amid much fanfare in 2020 and enjoyed a solid season for the previous year’s grand finalists.
But relations soured with coach Ricky Stuart in 2021 after he agitated for a release, citing homesickness. The Raiders cut the playmaker loose and he was playing for Warrington by August.
Matt Lodge
A perennially controversial figure, Lodge left the Broncos for the Warriors midway through 2021 – and provided excellent on-field service to the COVID-stricken club.
But he departed suddenly 10 rounds into 2022 in the wake of a heated pub argument with club owner Mark Robinson, joining the Roosters amid a hail of controversy. Lodge’s stint with the Tricolours also ended acrimoniously before linking with Manly – his third mid-season transfer in just over two years.