Weekend Read: Phil Gould knocked back by Ben Hunt as Bulldogs search for a seven

The Bulldogs have a hole to fill at halfback. Phil Gould knew who he wanted, but did not get his man. The hunt continues with a surprise contender with a famous surname a chance.

The scene was a Brighton cafe and Phil Gould was on the charm offensive. It was August last year and Ben Hunt was there as well, the St George Illawarra captain coming to the end of a disappointing season while simultaneously in the midst of painstaking contract talks with the Dragons.

Hunt’s management and the Dragons were haggling over the size of a potential deal and as negotiations dragged on, Gould could smell an opportunity. So he reached out to Hunt’s agent Steve Gillis and asked him to organise a catch-up.

Phil Gould’s hunt for a halfback continues. Picture: NRL Photos

What followed was a meeting for close to an hour between the Bulldogs boss and the Dragons skipper. They didn’t discuss money or terms.

Gould’s pitch was simple and to the point. If Hunt was looking for a change of scene, the Bulldogs were interested. No pressure. Just have a think and let us know where your head is at.

And with that, the meeting was over.

“Obviously there was a lot of mutual respect there,” Gillis said.

“They got along well - they just talked footy. That was about it. He (Hunt) was smart enough to understand what he (Gould) was saying - we would love to have you.

“But there was no wining and dining, selling the dream. They were on the same page - two mature people happy to have a conversation about where things were at.

Ben Hunt (R) knocked back Phil Gould’s approach. Picture: Getty Images

“Gus said if you want to talk again, let me know. We would love to have a chat.”

Gould can be a compelling figure. If you want evidence, you only have to look at current Canterbury coach Cameron Ciraldo, who attempted to quit on two occasions when he was an assistant at Penrith and Gould was the head of football.

Ciraldo, at the time working as an assistant to current St George Illawarra coach Anthony Griffin, approached Gould to hand in his resignation because he didn’t feel like he fitted in with the way the players were being coached.

Gould convinced him to stay the course, Griffin was eventually shown the door and Ciraldo remained on a coaching path that would eventually lead him to Canterbury.

Bulldogs coach Cameron Ciraldo. Picture: NRL Photos

Gould was at the heart of that move as well, convincing Ciraldo that Belmore was the place for him. Yet, as convincing as Gould can be, he has been unable to land Ciraldo the halfback he and the club so desperately crave.

The Bulldogs started the season with Kyle Flanagan in the No. 7 jersey but he has failed to convince and has now been dropped. Flanagan’s days appear numbered - he is off contract at the end of the season and there has been talk of a deal in England, although he is only 24 and seemingly nowhere near ready to give up on an NRL career.

Matt Burton has been handed the halfback duties but it is understood that some within the club believe he may be best served in the centres, if not at five-eighth.

Kyle Flanagan’s days at the Dogs appear to be bumbered. Picture: Getty Images

There have been whispers in recent weeks that Gould was weighing up an approach to Parramatta over Jacob Arthur with a view to landing the young half for the remainder of the season.

As round 10 approaches, the Bulldogs may consider handing a chance to young playmaker Khaled Rajeb, a Lebanese international who impressed at the World Cup.

In short, the Bulldogs have no out and out halfback, leaving Ciraldo to experiment with alternatives at the scrumbase. Hunt, as it turns out, would have solved all their issues.

The only problem was that he was committed to the Dragons and as much as he and Gould hit it off, it would have taken a dramatic U-turn - or the sacking of Griffin - for him to walk out on St George Illawarra.

Could Jakob Arthur fill a gap for the Dogs? Picture: Toby Zerna

So the Bulldogs search for a No. 7 goes on. On that front, they are not alone. It’s no coincidence that the bottom three teams in the competition have all struggled at halfback this year.

Luke Brooks wears the No. 7 at the Tigers but Brandon Wakeham is their halfback. Neither can seemingly get the job done and the Tigers are desperately scouring the globe for a half who can help them climb off the foot of the ladder.

Their search has failed to uncover a viable option, a reminder that the game is desperately short of quality playmakers. In Townsville, Chad Townsend has been an abject disappointment in his second year at the Cowboys.

Chad Townsend has been out of touch at the Cowboys. Picture: Getty Images

Then there are the Bulldogs. Their woes have been well documented. They have no-one to get them around the park.

Which leads us back to the Dragons and Hunt. While Hunt hasn’t been as good this year as last, most would argue he is part of the solution rather than the problem at St George Illawarra.

He could have been the answer for the Bulldogs as well. Only Gould missed his man and the Bulldogs are paying the price.

* * * * *

The Australian Rugby Union trumpeted their financial turnaround this week but buried amid the propaganda were some lingering concerns for a code that has decided to throw millions at rugby league players.

They handed Sydney Roosters teenager Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii a deal worth close to $5 million over three years. They failed with a multimillion dollar deal for Nelson Asofa-Solomona, who was born in New Zealand and dreamt of playing for the All Blacks.

Payne Haas is apparently on their hit-list as well with an offer in a similar region to that of Suaalii. All this for a code that is drowning in debt.

DAILY TELEGRAPH. JANUARY 31, 2023. Pictured at Matraville Sports High School today is new Wallabies head coach Eddie Jones during a press conference with Chairman of Australian Rugby Union Hamish McLennan, and CEO of Australian Rugby Union Andy Marinos, to announce his appointment. Picture: Tim Hunter.

The ARU happily told everyone they made a surplus in 2022 but what received less air play was the amount of money they owe.

They drew down on a $40 million finance facility. They have a loan note for $24 million that carries seven per cent interest and is payable on March 31, 2027.

There is also a $10 million advance from World Rugby that came with one per cent interest. On top of that, the ARU’s liabilities exceed their assets by millions.

They made some headway last year but there is clearly plenty of work to do. Little wonder they are looking to sell their soul to private equity to make ends meet.

The ARU and their blustering chair Hamish McLennan are playing a dangerous game. Rather than batting their eyes at rugby league players, surely the more responsible action would be to shore up a balance sheet that is swimming in debt.