Jarome Luai insists the intense spotlight on Lachlan Galvin won't derail the young Wests Tigers superstar, claiming he sees a lot of himself in the five-eighth.
Galvin is set for a year in the headlines amid talk around his future, with Tigers captain Apisai Koroisau admitting last week he felt sorry for the 19-year-old.
Already heavily linked to Parramatta to replace Dylan Brown, Galvin is a Campbelltown product but spent some in the Eels' junior pathway.
Questions over Galvin's future were further pushed by his dominant performance in the Tigers' 32-6 flogging of the Eels.
Luai is confident the speculation will not be an issue for Galvin, who is contracted until the end of next year but free to talk to rivals from November.
"He's doing pretty well. There's a lot of pressure on him, a lot of potential on him. The biggest thing for him is to play footy," Luai said.
"He enjoys the game. He loves this group. I'm a leader now and I need to keep him on track.
"He's a 19-year-old, and if he needs my help, I'm here for him."
Luai also suggested Galvin's affinity to the Tigers could be similar to what he felt at Penrith, where he won four premierships alongside childhood friends.
"He loves this group of boys," Luai said.
"It's similar to where I was at. He's come through the grades and he loves the group of guys and this team.
"I'm a bit of an older head now, so I have to keep him on track a bit. But I also want to let him play freely."
Rumours also circulated that the Tigers co-captain could fill the halves gap in Parramatta, with Luai's five-year deal at the Tigers including an option for him to leave at the end of next season.
"I had a bit of a giggle (when I saw I could be linked to Parramatta). But that's the media, that's there job to bring stuff up," Luai said.
"I'm locked in here. I want to be a Tiger."
The other young gun that other clubs have one eye on is rising star, Tallyn Da Silva.
Like Galvin, the hooker is off contract at the end of next year and can speak to rival clubs from November 1 if not re-signed before then.
The hooker has swiftly risen through the ranks but is currently sitting behind Koroisau.
"I don't focus on that sort of the thing. I'm not too worried about the media and the headlines. My focus is on footy," Da Silva said.
Da Silva added that he hadn't spoken to Galvin about "leaving the Tigers or our future".
"We're in a similar position, in that we're two to three years into our dream, and we want to focus on completing our dream."
