Bryan Fletcher believes Penrith will fire now Gus Gould is gone

The combination of Phil Gould and Ivan Cleary at the Penrith Panthers was never going to work and Gould’s departure will be felt immediately.

Could it be that Phil Gould exiting the Penrith Panthers will make them a better football side?

One thing is for sure Ivan Cleary’s men, who are 2-4 to start the NRL season, will come under the microscope on Friday night when they host the South Sydney Rabbitohs.

Former Roosters star Bryan Fletcher has flagged the exit of Gould under controversial circumstances as what might just be the catalyst for a turn around in form.

“I think it is going to work well,” Fletcher said on Unibet’s At Odds program of Gould’s exit.

“Now all their controversy is gone now — Ivan has got his team, Ivan has got the club. I think we can see the best of the Panthers.

“The Bunnies aren’t going great — I think with a start, I like Penrith.”

And while he likes the Panthers he has questioned the manner in which Gould’s exit truly happened.

Gould has been very clear in making it known that he left the role of his own accord and that the job was “done”.

“I’ve had this discussion regularly, that eventually my job out there will become redundant,” Gould said.

“I think that time has come. In fact, I’m convinced that time has come, that’s why we’ve come to this decision.”

Fletcher questioned that and given Gould has been at the club for eight years this time around and they have not won a premiership — it’s probably a fair point.

“Is he leaving or was he pushed?” Fletcher asked.

“I think a couple of weeks ago when Gus came out publicly and said he approached Wayne Bennett, his papers were marked then.

“It was never going to work. He sacked Ivan three or four years ago because he was ‘too tired’.”

BRONCOS ON THE WRONG SIDE OF HISTORY

Anthony Seibold has endured a tough start to life at the Broncos.

Gould wasn’t the only target for Fletcher who also took aim at the Brisbane Broncos.

If the Panthers’ start to the season has been bad, Brisbane’s has been downright horrific.

The Broncos are sitting 14th on the ladder with their only win coming over the Cowboys in round two.

In the last month they have lost heartbreakers to the Dragons, Wests Tigers and Raiders and been flogged by the Roosters.

The start is ominous and Fletcher warned that if they don’t snap out of it against the Sharks this Saturday their season may be over — calling them to miss the finals for just the second time in the club’s history after they initially missed out in 2010.

“If they don't win this weekend I don’t think they can make the semi-finals,” Fletcher said.

“And they’ve only not made the semi-final once since they came into the competition.

“They have the best young talent, it’s just experience — their young halves are just struggling under pressure. This is their last chance.”