‘Irresponsible’: Phil Gould put on blast for controversial concussion take

Bulldogs supremo Phil Gould has come under fire for his ‘irresponsible’ concussion take, which has been labelled complete ‘rubbish’.

Bulldogs supremo Phil Gould has been put on blast by one of Australia’s leading concussion experts for his “irresponsible” and “rubbish” concussion claims.

Neurophysiologist Alan Pearce took a dig at the 67-year-old, exactly two years on from when Gould claimed he would make a big announcement regarding concussions in rugby league after being a long-time critic of how the NRL was treating head knocks.

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Since then there have been crickets from Gould about the development, with the public none the wiser to what he was referring to or talking about.

But Pearce, who was aggrieved by some of Gould’s past remarks, commented on the video of his 100% Footy rant about concussions asking: “How’s that big announcement going?”

“Gus said on the clip, ‘I will be proven right’. But that’s not how science works,” Pearce told Code Sports’ Buzz Rothfield.

“You need scientific evidence. It could be seen as irresponsible. That this (research) is all rubbish.

Phil Gould has been a long-term critic of the NRL’s concussion protocols. (Photo by Tony Feder/Getty Images)

“What we’re seeing from emerging evidence is that we’ve got players with long-term concerns and players who are retiring prematurely from brain injuries.

“To say this is a media or sensationalist beat-up is irresponsible particularly when we have players outside of NRL who no-one ever hears of who are struggling with brain injuries.”

Gould has been a long-time critic of concussion protocols and in an explosive rant in April 2023 said on 100% Footy: “It’s like arguing with people on climate change (about concussions). It’s the same thing. They keep throwing up the same rubbish. How far down this rabbit hole do you want to go?

“As they say, don’t argue with idiots.”

Gould also sensationally declared the NRL’s carefulness with head knocks was an overreaction.

“I find it ridiculous that a doctor sitting in the Bunker nowhere near the ground, without even talking to the player, looking at the player, examining the player, can decide he’s category one and can’t return,” Gould said at the time.

“Even if that player comes off and passes his HIA, he can’t return because old mate’s already ruled him out of the game.

“We’ve seen the bad ones, we know the bad ones when we see them, we know the ones that probably shouldn’t return to play, the clubs already know that. But the rest of them?

“The slaps in the faces and all that sort of thing? It is an indictment on our game — it really is.”