Phil Rothfield: Phil Gould warned of Bryce Cartwright issues three years ago
THREE years ago Phil Gould wrote a column about Bryce Cartwright and his enormous potential. There were plenty of warning signs.
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THREE years ago Phil Gould wrote a column about Bryce Cartwright and his enormous potential.
It’s interesting to look back on it now because there were some warning signs in the article.
“There have been many talented individuals burst onto the scene over the years but not all of them enjoyed longevity in the professional ranks,” Gould wrote. “Many were broken before they realised their potential.
“Bryce is a tremendous young player with the world at his feet. He is still young and has a long way to go. It’s our responsibility as a club to ensure he gets every opportunity to realise his potential.”
On Saturday afternoon, Cartwright quit the Panthers.
His off-field life has been a mess and he thinks Titans coach Garth Brennan can help. They’ve been tight for a long time.
Not that Gould has given up on him playing for the Panthers again.
“He hasn’t burnt his bridges here at all,” Gould told me.
“I told him hopefully one day he’ll make his way back to Penrith and that I think this is where you belong.
“In the short term he needs a change but I think he’ll be back one day.
“Hopefully a change of scenery will help him get his football back.
Gould said the club would not sign a replacement for Cartwright in the near future.
“We’ll sit back and wait,” he said. “We’ve got some things to do in the future that we’ve got to look at.”
We presume he was talking about Nathan Cleary.