NRL 2022: Bulldogs chairman on Phil Gould-Trent Barrett power shift

Canterbury chairman John Khoury has addressed talk of a power struggle between Phil Gould and Trent Barrett.

Canterbury head of football, Phil Gould. Picture: NRL Imagery

Canterbury chairman John Khoury has fired back at detractors of his under-fire general manager of football, Phil Gould, declaring: “He’s not doing anything behind anyone’s back.”

“We have to respect his leadership - I don’t see what the problem is,” Khoury said. “He has my full support.”

Gould assumed the heading coaching role at Belmore on Wednesday, controlling a team meeting and then taking over a field session.

It consigned coach Trent Barrett to a background role.

The Daily Telegraph sent Gould a text on Thursday seeking comment but his response of “no thanks” was accompanied with a laughing emoji.

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Gould intervened after Canterbury lost six successive matches and sit outright last on the NRL competition ladder – despite the club’s big off-season recruitment drive.

“He’s not doing anything behind anyone’s back,” Khoury said. “It’s within the football club with football club staff.

“Phil’s track record speaks for itself and that’s why he is there. I would argue he’s the most qualified person in rugby league.

“We have to respect his leadership and he has my full support. We are all under pressure because we’re not winning, right?

Phil Gould (L) and Trent Barrett (R).

“And they (Gould and Barrett) both want to win, like all of us, and they are working hard to do that.

“Phil is the head of football, that’s his job, to be involved in the football department. I don’t see what the problem is.”

Khoury denied any simmering internal tension between Gould and Barrett.

“Trent loves him, Trent loves him. I wasn’t there (at training) but I know they work well together. They are professionals, mate,” Khoury said.

“Phil runs the football department and I know he has a close relationship with Trent.

“It’s not the position of a board or director to get operationally involved in the day-to-day running of football operations.

“There is nothing more for me to say.”

Bulldogs chairman John Khoury (R). Source: Supplied.

Former Bulldogs premiership-winning star Braith Anasta said this week that the club had “gone backwards” under Gould and Barrett.

Bulldogs CEO Aaron Warburton preferred not comment. As of late Thursday, Gould – prolific on Twitter - had kept essentially quiet on social media.

His only post, in response to a question, read: “As long as they are bagging me, they are leaving someone else alone. That is a bonus.”

Canterbury play the Sydney Roosters this Saturday afternoon at Accor Stadium.

Why Gus was right to take control

- Dean Ritchie

They have lost six successive games, sit outright last on the NRL ladder, have won just four from their past 31 matches and have a volatile fan base which is becoming increasingly loud and irritable.

The Bulldogs had to try something. And quickly. Canterbury couldn’t sit back and passively watch their season slide away down the local Belmore sewer.

And as irritating and overpowering as he can be, there is no better communicator in rugby league than Gus Gould.

Things aren’t going right on the field for the Bulldogs... but could a Gus Gould rev-up fix them? Picture: Getty

Gould took charge at training on Wednesday, clearly fed up with an underachieving side which has won just one game this year. The Bulldog’s season is essentially over before it began.

What do they say? The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

Canterbury desperately needed something. A new voice, morale lift, on-field adjustments, a different take on footy.

Trent Barrett approved Gould’s intervention albeit he must have felt uncomfortable watching someone else coach his side.

Barrett looks on during a Canterbury Bulldogs training. Picture: Getty

Gus will be assertive, aggressive, arrogant and maybe that’s what Canterbury need. A good old fashioned clip over the ear.

Someone had to meddle; someone had to intrude – and Gus is generally the smartest man in the room when it comes to rugby league.

The players will listen and respond. It just could be the moment that kick starts a spluttering season.

They may just go from red faced to red hot because of the man with red hair

BUZZ: GUS JUST SIGNED BULLDOGS COACHES’ DEATH WARRANTS

By Phil Rothfield

Phil Gould taking over a Canterbury Bulldogs training session is a massive vote of no-confidence in struggling coach Trent Barrett.

It’s also a move that is going to make it difficult for the Bulldogs to find a new head coach.

Who would want to work under such a dominating figure who has a long history in managerial roles of interfering with the day-to-day football preparation?

Could you imagine Paul Green or Shane Flanagan accepting this. Or Cameron Ciraldo?

Gus just can’t help himself.

Phil Gould is hardly an expert at hiring and firing coaches.

The same thing happened with Ricky Stuart back at the Roosters. He walked out in 2006 because he couldn’t cope with Gould’s intrusive ways.

Before Ricky it was Graham Murray

At Penrith, two coaches stood up to Gould … Ivan Cleary and Anthony Griffin.

And they got sacked.

Tim Sheens, in a similar role to Gould, has been playing it much smarter at Wests Tigers.

He has given Michael Maguire all the tools he needs.

He goes nowhere near the dressing sheds on game day or midweek training sessions.

He wants Madge to be accountable.

If it doesn’t work out, he has no excuses.

Barrett is now having to take a back seat and watch Gus run training.

Bulldogs coach Trent Barrett is under pressure to retain his job after a poor start to the season. Picture: NRL Photos

He wasn’t allowed to pick his best side at the start of the year because Gould wouldn’t let him pick Kyle Flanagan.

So who gets the blame if the Bulldogs get towelled up this weekend against the Roosters?

Is it Gus’ fault or Baz’s? Or his assistants Dave Furner and Craig Sandercock?

Barrett has a 12.9 per cent win record at Belmore.

Four wins from 31 games is shocking.

His one win this year was in Townsville when the Cowboys had what would have been a match-winning try taken from them in the final minute.

So the Bulldogs now have to make a decision on Barrett.

He is either their head coach or he is not.

This is Gus’ decision and no one else’s.

He is in a position of power where even chairman John Khoury and CEO Aaron Warburton are both afraid and reluctant to challenge him.

This is not necessarily a good thing.

As history shows, Gus is hardly an expert at hiring and firing coaches.

He didn’t even want Cleary back at Penrith, who has since built a premiership-winning side and the most exciting roster we have seen for years.

Power play: Gus takes over Bulldogs training

Phil Gould has reportedly taken over Bulldogs training as the struggling club looks to break its six-game losing streak.

According to reports, players were on the receiving end of a stinging spray from Gould as they continue preparations for their Saturday showdown with the Roosters.

The Bulldogs have not won a game since their round one victory over the Cowboys, this despite a major off-season spend which saw the likes of Matt Burton, Josh Addo-Carr, Tevita Pangai Jr Jnr, Brent Naden, Paul Vaughan and Matt Dufty join the club.

Canterbury head of football, Phil Gould. Picture: NRL Imagery

Bulldogs coach Trent Barrett told Fox Sports he had no issue with Gould being more hands on with his playing group and welcomed the “rocket”.

“It’s not the first time Gus has spoken to the players. He and I speak on a daily basis often more than ten times a day,” Barrett said.

“We thought it was a good idea. We had a chat last week about some statistics that we keep and then Gus came in and presented to the team.

“There was a hell of a lot of improvement in the first half against the Broncos but then there were a couple of things that I thought Gus could help us with. It was good.

“I wanted Gus to have a voice in a certain part of the field and give the team a bit of a rocket around our discipline and our line speed.”

Originally published as NRL 2022: Bulldogs chairman on Phil Gould-Trent Barrett power shift