What’s the Buzz: Phil Gould’s $6m carnage at Penrith Panthers, Canterbury Bulldogs

A whopping 28 players and coaches have come and gone under Phil Gould’s watch at the Panthers and Bulldogs, and there will be more, writes Phil Rothfield.

Phil Gould has cost the Panthers and Bulldogs upwards of $6m from sacking coaches and moving players on early. Picture: NRL Imagery.

Phil Gould has not won a premiership since he was coaching director when Ricky Stuart led the Sydney Roosters to the 2002 title.

But he sure has broken records for player and coach sackings over the past decade at Penrith Panthers and now the Canterbury Bulldogs, costing the two clubs upwards of $6 million.

It has been a highly expensive exercise because almost every discarded player and coach – in a 28-strong list – has received significant payouts or contributions to their salaries at their new footy clubs.

Even Corey Allan, who was dispatched from Belmore to Bondi this week, was on $500,000 and will cost the Bulldogs around $300,000 in their cap next year before the Roosters pick up the rest of his salary.

Phil Gould has cost the Panthers and Bulldogs upwards of $6m from sacking coaches and moving players on early. Picture: NRL Imagery.

On Thursday it was the same almost cut-and-paste statement with a different name: “We thank Corey for his two years of service to the Bulldogs and wish him all the best for the future.”

They say Allan won’t be the last Bulldog to be shown the door.

It is common knowledge in rugby league circles that Great Britain forward Luke Thompson and halfback Kyle Flanagan had been offered the chance to look elsewhere.

All this can create an unsettled environment inside footy clubs. No player is safe while Gus is in charge. Not even marquee players.

It’s no secret Gould desperately wants Parramatta Eels halfback Mitchell Moses and Panthers star Stephen Crichton, to play fullback, for the 2024 season.

It would no doubt give new coach Cameron Ciraldo a top-four spine and roster. But there will be carnage along the way. More players will need to be offloaded.

Gus has never been afraid to get rid of big names.

He cut the champion edge forward Luke Lewis in 2012 from Penrith in the prime of his career. Lewis not only won the 2016 premiership at the Sharks but also the Clive Churchill Medal.

Not even big name players like Luke Lewis were safe from Gus during their time at his clubs.

The likes of Matt Moylan, Jamie Soward, Trent Merrin and James Maloney were on marquee-player money at the Panthers before being ushered out early.

As one player manager, who declined to be named, said last week: “Gus is always looking to strengthen his roster even when he doesn’t have the cap space to allow it.

“He’ll just move someone on. He’ll just tells them it’s in the best interests of all parties. And they leave.”

Gus’s ideas on roster management differ to others.

For example, Penrith had to dismantle the squad Gould had assembled – offloading Waqa Blake, Reagan Campbell-Gillard and Dallin Watene-Zelezniak – for Ivan Cleary to build the roster to win two straight titles.

Penrith changed its entire recruitment strategy when Gould left. They brought Cleary back against Gould’s wishes as head coach.

The Bulldogs are now experiencing exactly what happened at the Panthers.

Call it another five-year plan or whatever. It’s just the way Gus does his business.

Anything and any amount of money to win his first title in 20 years.