Phil Rothfield writes an article that makes Phil Gould look like a buffoon, Phil Gould scolds the Daily Telegraph and the NRL for writing it or being complicit in its construction, and Phil Rothfield returns fire through his newspaper.
It’s a cyclical war of words in the Sydney NRL scene and I’m sick of it.
This issue has come to head after the Daily Telegraph this week showed Phil Gould’s notepad which had just a message for the Penrith chairman and a small drawing on it.
Gould was furious and has claimed that either the NRL or club chairman’s had leaked the information to the Tele.
This article claimed really that Gould wasn’t paying attention and accused him of essentially being a coward for airing his well-known views about how to fend off the AFL.
What the article didn’t tell you was the fact he was there before any other delegates and the Chairman of Penrith was taking notes while Gould went to Newcastle for a meeting.
News Limited and Phil Gould have had a testy relationship since the days of the Super League war (News of course built the league and supported it while Gould remained a loyal follower of the ARL).
While both sides are behaving like pork chops, it always seems that the stories about Gould are just gutter tactics.
For example, a story a few weeks ago questioned Gould’s record as a director of coaching by using circumstantial evidence and innuendo. Thank goodness for Dean “Bulldog” Ritchie for the next day tearing this article to pieces.
It’s absurd that this petty feud from 15 years ago is still getting column inches. Ironically it seems despite the fact they don’t like each other, both Phil Gould and Phil Rothfield have each other’s mobile phone numbers and stay in contact.
Give it a rest guys, and instead of fighting between yourselves fight the avalanche that is the AFL, because take it from me (as an Adelaide resident), we are coming for you and we are going to exploit any divisions.
Bakkies
Guest
Dean Ritchie is a muppet too
ScottWoodward.me
Roar Guru
It would be ideal if we had some more Roy Masters around who can write well and do their reserach but importantly can be objective. Under any circumstances Ricky Stuart should have nothing to do with coaching, but because he is emplyed by a TV channel and a newspaper his colleagues write him up as a super coach. If they only knew how comments like that cost their paper and themselves credibility.
The Cattery
Roar Guru
Yes, not good times for the Adelaide teams presently, but these things are cyclical, brand new oval in the city to look forward to.
Johnno
Guest
It's a publicity stunt it is all planned , they are employed to spark sensantionlsim, it keeps them employed in a job. They probably call each other at night and laugh at all the spin that they talk about and feuds and how the public fall for it, and how they con the public with such mindless spin to sell newspapers. it is a scam there probably mates, match fixing a deliberate publicity stunt.
jamesb
Guest
Both Phil Gould and Phil Rothfield have big egos. Fair dinkum this stupid "doodle' story has been dragged on for three days. Its an utter crap of a story to the highest degree. This childish behavoiur between the two IMO is alot worse than what Todd Carney has done this week. Both Gould and Rothfield are in their fifties. They should know better. "instead of fighting between yourselves fight the avalanche that is the AFL, because take it from me (as an Adelaide resident), we are coming for you and we are going to exploit any divisions." Johnhunt92, since that you acknowledged that your an Adelaide resident, before you take over the world with AFL, maybe you should concentrate having two viable and competitve adelaide teams in the AFL competition. Port getting smashed by collingwood is a reminder not to forget AFL heartland Adelaide, otherwise there may only be 1 team in Adelaide.
oikee
Guest
One has to wonder how these journo's keep their jobs for league reporting, Phil is a sharkie man, Gus is a panther man, why are we even giving them air-time. And Weidler, surely the game can find someone better than this guy, not sure any league fans can stand the sight of him. So why is he reporting league stories. The whole game needs a cleansing, reporters should be the first to be thrown out with the garbage. Gus, you have a job now, start worrying about Penrith, forget about fighting anyone, your fight is for Penrith, that is the only thing you have to worry about, the rest will take care of itself. Anyhow, someone must be reading these stories, stop reading them and you help stop them acquiring breathing space, and hopefully paper space. They thrive on bad publicity, and if you look at the clubs they support, (Panthers Sharks) this must obviously tell you something, they are losers. :) Neither have turned anything around, so basically they complain about anything to keep the spotlight off their own failings.
Horatio
Guest
Manufactured controversy is part, parcel and compulsory in NRL. Remember Meningas sledge of the judiacary and how they were going to sue - he never apologised, they never had a case and on we go
johnhunt92
Roar Guru
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/doodling-analysis-expert-says-what-phil-goulds-scribbles-reveal-about-his-personality/story-fn7r8vs2-1226113472884 Look at this
Happy Hooker
Guest
Gus's doodle ain't the issue. Its the fact that he left the meeting early. He's happy to criticise the NRL for its lack of fight in countering the AFL in Sydney's west, but can't stay past morning tea time, to discuss the issues facing the game.
Redb
Roar Guru
Laughable from the lot of them.
Al from ctown
Guest
I've just realized why im feeling ill everyday for the past few.... Please! No more about gus's doodle.... I can't stand it being shoved in my face any longer! -- Comment left via The Roar's iPhone app. Download The Roar's iPhone App in the App Store here.
mike from PNG
Guest
I cannot understand how Gould left his doodle in the meeting; most people who doodle around in meetings normally rip it off the pad and trash it, obviously Gould expects Gallop's workers to remove his doodle. I bet after this Gould will make sure he doesn't leave his doodle laying around where other people can pick it up and give it to opposition Journo's. But really after all this time News Corp journos still hating Gould for the super league war, gee whizz I still hate the Broncos for getting my team (Souths) thrown out of the Comp & I still hate Manly who supported Souths, I still know a lot of people who will not buy Newscorps newspapers, maybe some day we will all get over it.
sledgeross
Guest
I cant think of anyone who thinks Weidler has credibility. Hes the Khoder Nasser PR manager......
Chris
Guest
It's worse than that - Danny Weidler is employed by TWO organisations! And Rothfield is beyond a joke. He keeps taking potshots at Phil Gould, when he should be writing about the sport itself. We're getting towards the finals, but Rothfield doesn't seem the slightest bit interested in that - he's currently obsessed with Phil Gould's doodles. Some of these "journos" seem to have even bigger egos than the players these days - and are even more juvenile.
Will Sinclair
Guest
Couldn't agree more. What a pack of children - airing their petty feuds in public while the sports loving public turn to the likes of The Roar and Green & Gold Rugby for decent analysis and commentary. In fact, the general level of sports reporting and analysis in Sydney is abject. When blokes like Rothfield and Weidler etc are given column inches to pursue petty feuds and personal agendas then things are pretty poor. (Weidler in particaulr is a walking punch line - it defies belief that he is employed by a mainstream news organisation.)