Former NSW coach Phil Gould lets rip on Blues, calling team culture “a dog’s breakfast”

STEVE Roach has called on Phil Gould to lead a NSW rescue mission, after the former Origin coach tore strips off the Blues culture.

Gus didn’t hold back in his assessment of the Blues set-up. Picture: Brett Costello

STEVE Roach has called on Phil Gould to lead a NSW rescue mission to help save the strife-torn Blues.

It comes after NSW’s most successful Origin coach tore strips off a team culture that Gould labelled “a dog’s breakfast”.

In an extraordinary attack, Gould threatened to ban Penrith players including the likes of boom halfback Nathan Cleary, Matt Moylan, Trent Merrin and Josh Mansour from being selected for NSW next year.

Gould also declared Laurie Daley was “cooked” and not in an emotional state to continue as coach.

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The NSWRL management released a bizarre statement on Thursday that attempted to justify the team’s culture, while ridiculing much of the fallout that followed the disastrous series collapse.

But Gould is not the only person who has raised serious questions about the Blues’ internal troubles with some of the game’s biggest names including Gould, Ricky Stuart, Craig Bellamy, Matty Johns and Trent Robinson all making their concerns known.

Roach also admitted he had his own worries but said it was time for everyone who loves NSW to pull together.

“I would love to suggest that we get 10 great footy minds to sit down together and start to thrash through what we should be doing,” Roach said.

“I am not having a go at Phil Gould. I respect what he has done in the game. But what I am trying to say is that if you feel so deeply about it, let’s do something about it.

“Surely we can come up with a list of people we can trust. I am not saying that I am one of them. I am just saying that we all have to work together.

“It has probably taught us losing this series that there is a bit of an inner circle and it needs to get bigger so we can understand what we should be doing.

“People should be open to ideas because that is how you fix problems.”

Gus didn’t hold back in his assessment of the Blues set-up. Picture: Brett Costello

Gould was scathing in his assessment of the team’s culture.

“It all starts with leadership. Who’s going to take control over what the personality of this team?” Gould said on his Channel Nine podcast.

“I think it’s a dog’s breakfast, and it has been for some time.”

Gould also pointed out that NSW had lost all seven series deciding matches since during Queensland’s period of dominance dating back to 2006.

“When the pressure is applied to them they get isolated. They disintegrate,” Gould said.

While Daley is yet to announce if he wants to continue as coach, the mail is he has the support to stay on.

The former NSW boss knows what it takes to win Origin.

Gould argued: “I don’t think that emotionally he’ll handle it, judging by what I’ve seen through the series.

“Laurie’s cooked. You only got to look at the body language over the series to see that this takes an emotional toll on him.

“I don’t know that it’s even fair to ask him to do it again.

“I think Laurie’s in a bad place at the moment around his football team. Looking at him in that last game and particularly looking at his body language — he wanted to be anywhere else.

“I don’t think Laurie has complete control over the Blues Origin culture.”

Gould also took the incredible step of basically warning off NSW selecting his Penrith players next year.

“I have no doubt that Nathan Cleary will be a representative class player,” Gould said.

“When they can show they’ve solved the problems, then Nathan Cleary can be considered for selection. I don’t want any of our players involved in that culture, in that current environment.

“Over the years, including Nathan Cleary, you think they’ll play Origin football, but not in the culture like it is currently.”

While NSWRL boss Dave Trodden did not return calls on Thursday, he said in a statement: “Phil Gould is one of our most highly decorated former coaches and we certainly have the greatest respect for him and his views.

“A number of past players and coaches have questioned various aspects of our selections and preparation and, while we don’t necessarily agree with all of their opinions, we certainly respect each one of them.”