‘Come at me’: Phil Gould takes responsibility for Kyle Flanagan call

After days of the Bulldogs getting slammed for its decision to recall Kyle Flanagan, Phil Gould has revealed it was his decision.

Phil Gould has opened up on Kyle Flanagan. Photo: Fox Sports

Canterbury Bulldogs general manager of football Phil Gould has hit back at claims that the selection of halfback Kyle Flanagan has “thrown him to the wolves”.

It came after Flanagan, who was dropped multiple times last season and appeared out of favour at the club, was named at halfback to partner big name recruit Matt Burton.

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Fox League’s NRL 360 slammed the decision in the wake of the Bulldogs’ 44-0 loss to the Melbourne Storm last weekend and called it a “disgrace” as he was brought back into the side ahead of Canterbury’s clash with defending premiers the Penrith Panthers on Sunday night.

The comments have placed added scrutiny to the position of coach Trent Barrett, but Bulldogs supreme Gould has claimed it was his call to hold Flanagan in reserve grade while hitting back at the comments via his Six Tackles with Gus podcast.

“It’s my responsibility for how Kyle has been prepared for this season and when he comes back into the NRL,” Gould said. “Not Trent Barrett, not the Bulldogs. That’s me.

“If (the club’s critics) want to come at me with duty of care and coaching and development of players — and I’ve developed a few players in my career — then I’m happy to debate them anywhere, anytime.

“But this vitriolic and vehement attack on our coach and on the club, it won’t be tolerated. If they want to come at anyone, come at me.

“Kyle Flanagan doesn’t need this type of pressure coming into the game. He’s under no pressure from us and no pressure when he plays for us. It’s not up to Kyle Flanagan to turn us around, hopefully we can be part of the process of helping Kyle Flanagan become a regular NRL player.

“If this kid’s name was Kyle Smith, do you think we would be going through this? I can tell you mentally, physically and football wise, he’s the best he’s been in a long time.”

Canterbury GM of football Phil Gould. Photo: NRL Imagery

Gould said Flanagan had been a victim of the lack of lower grade football due to the Covid-19 pandemic after he was dropped at times last season.

With no NSW Cup, Flanagan was unable to rediscover his form.

But having taken “personal” responsibility for Flanagan’s return to first-grade, Gould said his focus was getting the half back to enjoying his football.

“Kyle Flanagan is a key part of this organisation, he’s a key part of our roster. He’s our highest-paid playmaker and that’s no good for any club when they’re not in the first-grade side,” Gould said.

“One of my things was to get to the bottom of that. Speaking to the coaches, I actually also rang Trent Robinson and Nick Politis at the Roosters to get some history and background on them … I knew a lot of people at the Sharks and a lot at the Roosters to get some background on him.

“I also had a meeting with his father (Shane Flanagan) and his manager back in September to get their take on where things were at with Kyle and his football.

“We discussed it, and I discussed with them that I would take a personal interest in this.

“Our aim was to get him back playing first grade, enjoying his football and playing the best football he possibly could. But I asked them to leave it to me, we didn’t want too many coaches from the outside interfering.

“We just needed him to settle down here and enjoy his football, which he has done. He has trained extremely hard.

“Kyle Flanagan from what I see, and I see most of their training sessions – I’m not part of the coaching staff, I don’t do coaching but I’m around the sessions a lot – Kyle has been heavily involved right throughout the off-season in just about every training session that we’ve had. He’s at every team meeting, he’s at every video session. He’s an integral part of what the club is doing.”

Has been brought back into first grade. Photo by Matt King/Getty Images

Gould admitted it was he who asked for Flanagan to trial in reserve grade as “I wanted him away from the spotlight”.

He also detailed a conversation he had with Flanagan where he explained the 23-year-old would play reserve grade.

“I said, ‘well Kyle, whatever it is you think you’re doing and whatever it is you want, that’s not happening, is it?’, and he agreed,” Gould continued. “I said, ‘at the moment, I don’t think NRL is the place for you and I don’t think you can help the team. They can’t help you right at the moment. We need to reset your career and that could mean some time in reserve grade’.

“I told Trent Barrett and said Kyle is unavailable for first grade until further notice. I wanted him to back to NSW Cup.

“When I get a call from the coach (Barrett) on Monday morning asking if he could pick Kyle (for first grade), I said ‘why do you want to do that?’

“He gave me the reasons … Trent Barrett’s reasons were clear and I said Kyle was ready for NRL.

“He’s our highest-paid playmaker in the club, he’s ready. This is what he wants to do and this is what he’s prepared to do.”

Gould praised Flanagan’s performance in reserve grade, where the Bulldogs are undefeated and he had tallied a try and 19 goals, six try assists and five line break assists.

He also added that Flanagan would assume the main playmaker role, which should allow Burton to return to the game which saw him named in the Dally M Team of the Year last year.

“You’d like to think that from now on, Kyle Flanagan can establish himself as the No. 1 playmaker in our club and hold on to the No. 7 jersey for as long as possible,” he said.

“That’s what he has been bought to do, that’s what he’s been trained to do.

“Now, I think he’s come giant strides in the last month, he’s gone back to reserve grade, played a game that’s more fitting for him rather than come into a system to serve other players.

Phil Gould has hit back at the comments.

“When he returns to the first grade side this week, it’s not about Kyle Flanagan fitting in with Matt Burton and the rest of the team; it’s about the rest of the team fitting in with Kyle Flanagan, let me tell you.

“Kyle Flanagan will play his game and we’ll adapt to that. That’s what you do when you have a chief playmaker, Kyle Flanagan will be the chief playmaker in the side.

“Right now, from what I’ve seen over the last 18 months, he’s more ready now than what he has ever been.

“There is absolutely no pressure on him this weekend, this is not a one-off, not a perform-or perish type situation. He’s been given time to relax, he’s been given time away from the spotlight, he’s been given time to find his game and find his legs again. He’s produced some outstanding numbers on the weekend.

“This rubbish that he’s thrown to the wolves — what’s the alternative? Kyle Flanagan is not a rookie, he’s turned 24 this year, he’s played 43 first-grade games … Kyle Flanagan is the best credentialed, the most experienced and the best prepared of all the halfbacks in our club to take on this role, not only for this week but into the future.

“That’s been the program he’s been on since I arrived here last October. I’ve included his father, his manager and Kyle in all of those conversations along the way.

“It’s not Trent Barrett who has made a decision on when he comes back to first grade. Trent wanted him in the side, but he came and asked me for permission to do it. I could have easily said no if I didn’t think he was ready. I said yes.”