Outgoing Penrith general manager Phil Gould says it was his decision to step down and backed coach Ivan Cleary as the future of the NRL club.
Gould felt his role had become redundant, with the Panthers in a strong financial position and the team playing finals, but added that he may not depart immediately.
“The decision hasn’t been made exactly when this will take effect. Maybe the end of year or a couple of months, but I recommended we do it sooner rather than later,” Gould told Nine News.
“I’ve always maintained this position wasn’t going to be around forever and I just see the club in such a strong position at the moment.
“We have the right board of the directions, the right management, the right coaching staff.”
The Penrith board is expected to rubberstamp his resignation on Wednesday.
Gould has been linked with a move to Cronulla, while St George are also reportedly interested in signing the iconic rugby league figure.
Gould was often criticised for his failure to deliver on his ‘five-year plan’ and win a title during his time in Penrith.
He has long maintained the club never had an official policy of the kind however there’s little doubt he leaves the club in far better shape than when he arrived in 2011.
“I’m not so worried about the premiership, our initial goal was long-term survival and financial stability,” Gould said.
“The club has got a very strong financial base at the moment and a long and sustainable future.”
Gould’s position appeared untenable after cracks in his relationship with Cleary began to appear.
After Cleary returned to the club in the off-season following Anthony Griffin’s sacking, Gould had a reduced role in the running of the football department and the team.
Their relationship was already strained after Gould sacked Cleary as coach three years ago, famously declaring that he looked “tired”.
Gould had attempted to recruit seven-time premiership winner Wayne Bennett as Griffin’s successor but was overruled by the club board.
“(That has) absolutely nothing to do with this decision, Ivan is the right coach for the club going forward,” Gould said.
After winning the grand final in one of Australian rugby league’s great fairytales in 2003, the Panthers spent a decade in the wilderness and were considered an NRL basketcase.
From 2005 to 2013 they made the finals just once and collected the wooden spoon in 2007.
Gould, one of the game’s most powerful figures and prominent media commentators, transformed the vibrant league nursery into a consistent finals side.
They have reached at least the second week of the finals in four of the previous five seasons.
Gould was the driving force behind the construction of the Panthers’ $22 million academy which is the envy of most clubs in the league.
After a successful playing career with the Panthers, Newtown, Canterbury and South Sydney in the 1970s and 80s, Gould found immediate success as a coach.
He won titles with Canterbury in 1988 and Penrith in 1991 and remains NSW’s most successful State of Origin coach.
After becoming coach of the Blues in 1992, he took the side to three straight series wins for the first time.
Over two stints from 1992-96 and 2002-04, he won six series with one draw and one loss.
john
Guest
I'd love to see Phil Gould take up a position with a club that is outside of NSW just to see if that will change his commentating bias.
Kick n Clap
Guest
Dear Phil, Please come to Perth and begin and “mastermind our Journey” into NRL the jungle? Here you can have clean -slate.? You can have the authority to rule. “ I don’t care”. Just help us to build Rugby League over in the West and make it a success. Here the seeds are slowly been sown. Phil by you coming over you can be our “ Hot house”. The potential is out there for you to harvest. League actually has a footprint all over the state. Up the far NorthWest League is played in Kununurra with teams coming down from Darwin. In the Mining towns there healthy presence of League from QLD & NSW lads. The South & Mid section need the education & Leadership to commence their journeys. Here in the city is where the action is needed to eradicate AFL & RU influences. This is where the NRL should put their money where their mouth’s are? To build a new franchise takes time. That is why,I want the best to lead Perth’s bid? Todd & Peter you guys at the NRL have been messing about now for nearly a year over League expansion. The answers are already there. The expansion aims should be quite clearly laid out now. So we are all ready to go in 2023. First cabs off the Rank:- Perth Queensland Mid to south region New Zealand -South Island . Second Round :- Adelaide Darwin Pacific team PNG Let’s build the game. Let’s move away from big clunky stadiums Half - Full. In Perth we ready to rumble. Big games at Optus & smaller games at the HBF stadium. Back to my original thread.Lets utilise the expertise we have got in our game to help us thrive in the future? Everybody says Phil Gould is Rugby League Royalty, so then I want a slice of him here in Perth. If NRL reads this then get wheels in motion and let’s get it sorted. Here in Perth we will strive to successful. Just give us a fair playing field and the ingredients and we will be that expansion team that succeeds?