Phil Gould’s Anthony Griffin ‘can’t coach’ sledge to finally be decided I Paul Kent
Everyone in the game knows Phil Gould doesn’t rate new Dragons boss Anthony Griffin as a coach - the everyday punters remain undecided. The ladder will soon reveal the truth, writes PAUL KENT.
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The League Nation is more confused today than ever over what happened to Anthony Griffin at Penrith.
Griffin either can or can’t coach, according to the latest commentary, and either was or wasn’t fired, by either Phil Gould or someone else, while coaching at Penrith two years ago.
It is all very confusing and has caused more than a little heartburn around the game.
On the upside, a winner is set to be declared, after three falls, following Monday’s announcement that Griffin will begin coaching the St George Illawarra Dragons for two seasons and possibly three when the new season begins on November 1.
The ladder is set to reveal all. Until then, we bicker.
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Some will line up on the hill at Kogarah, in a figurative sense, to boo the Dragons through each game as they remain intent on being proven right after the fact.
Others will cheer.
Just this week Gould, who has the comfort of being a man absolutely sure of his convictions, revealed how deep and bitter the politics of sport run.
“The misreporting around my relationship with him, and his parting of ways at Penrith, has been nothing short of disgraceful,” Gould said on Monday. “And a lot of that is fuelled by Anthony himself.”
What is most amazing about Gould’s comment is that Griffin was the other man in the conversation.
If they differ so vigorously in versions, what hope the rest?
Gould insists he did not sack Griffin. Griffin is certain it was a falling out with Gould, then the Panthers head of football, why he was sacked.
The difference is semantics.
Penrith officials confirmed on Tuesday that Gould told club officials Griffin “couldn’t coach”.
They also confirmed that, as Gould also said on Monday, he said he could still work with him.
It leaves just enough wiggle room for Gould to stand by his claim that he did not want Griffin sacked.
Still, this greatly confused the Panthers directors.
For one, they knew the pair had not spoken for months. How could they work together if they no longer spoke?
The relationship was untenable.
Only one solution seemed workable and that was to call Griffin’s manager Wayne Beavis and organise a severance payout.
It was done.
Griffin felt he was sacked and Gould felt the blood was on the hands of others. People see things differently.
It’s like the three blind men trying to describe an elephant. Each comes at it from a different place, to the point where they become so convinced the other is lying they come to blows.
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It says rugby league, in a way.
Gould and Griffin’s fallout began at a pre-season game when Gould launched into the team following a lacklustre trial loss to a second string Canterbury team.
Gould was most unimpressed with Griffin’s decision not to make an interchange in the first half, unaware Griffin had told his players he was leaving them on for the duration to give them match fitness before the season started.
Captain Peter Wallace later defended the decision, and Griffin’s version, saying several middle forwards needed the tough hit-out.
By then Gould had launched into Griffin in the tunnel.
Christian Nicolussi, the reporter, later texted Griffin for comment, who simply forwarded the text to Gould, the club’s spokesman.
“Didn’t happen,” Gould replied.
Griffin was comfortable with that.
When Nicolussi ran the story Gould tried to get him banned from training.
The argument was the first small wedge in their relationship but remained buried until later in the season when relations between Gould and Griffin began getting more testy.
It came up one day in conversation, where Gould denied the argument ever happened.
Griffin, the other party in the argument, pulled him up on it.
He knew Gould didn’t want to give it any airtime but he also knew it happened. He was, after all, the other party in the argument.
Yet Gould denied it ever happened.
So on Monday a fresh dose of heartburn went around the game as sides were drawn over what happened and how it happened and the support for each as it played out again.
It got a fresh look with conflicting reports whether Penrith endorsed Griffin’s application for the Dragons’ job or warned the Dragons against him.
That the Dragons unanimously appointed Griffin as coach seems to have answered that.
The rest you can decide for yourself.
Some get the tusks, some get the tail.
Originally published as Phil Gould’s Anthony Griffin ‘can’t coach’ sledge to finally be decided I Paul Kent