Phil Gould is a divisive character in rugby league. Media figures and fans alike struggle with his commentary and personality.
Penrith fans struggled last week with the sacking of head coach Ivan Cleary out of the blue, with the decision seemingly made solely by Gould after his own review.
While fans point to 2014 preliminary final finish and the lack of troops this year to compete, Gould has not led the Panthers astray so far.
Love him or hate him, his tenure at the club has seen the Panthers build strongly for the future.
And that was what his five-year plan was all about. There was never a guarantee of a premiership, Gould knows that this is simply an unrealistic thing to promise.
No, the five-year plan was about putting the club in a position to be able to win a premiership, rather than what the club was trying to do when he got there, survive and hope.
His tenure at the club has coincided with:
– The Panthers memberships touching 20,000 last year
– The side beginning to make a profit in its own right.
– The Panthers being named Australia’s most valuable sporting brand
– The construction of a rugby league academy.
– The cleaning up of what was a messy salary cap situation.
I’m not suggesting Gould has done these things himself, only that his profile and vision have been key in many of these areas. He is not concerned with small thinking and merely surviving, but rather prospering and being the best sporting brand in Australia. He has got the staff around him, and the culture that he wants ingrained into Penrith and that’s what makes things happen both on and off the field.
He has been the catalyst for change, but the fall-guy if anything goes awry. Fans and media cued up to criticise the departures of Luke Lewis, Michael Jennings, Michael Gordon and Lachlan Coote as well as the signing of Jamie Soward and others.
But the Panthers made the finals last year without any of those aforementioned players and with Soward tugging the strings. Gould could just about have said I told you so. The only reason they didn’t return to the play-offs this year was the injury toll they faced.
And while it can be argued that is why Cleary should not have been let go, the decision has been made. It was clinical, it was quick, there was another coach all ready to go and there was no media circus like at Manly this season.
It was the best of a bad situation.
Gould knows his decisions have massive ramifications for the Panthers and all their stakeholders. He has made it known that he expects to be held accountable and should Griffin fail than maybe that would be the end of him too.
But Gould has made unpopular decisions before and they have paid off and he is taking the gamble once more.
One thing is for sure though, compared to when he got there in 2011 the club has never looked better. And while media figures and fans will argue and cry crisis and betrayal Gould has a history of success on his side in many facets of rugby league and may just be right once again.
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