‘Won’t cop his bullsh** anymore’: Phil Gould’s Ch9 role called into question amid latest drama

Phil Gould’s role with Channel 9 has been questioned after the Bulldogs supremo was accused of misleading viewers.

Bulldogs supremo Phil Gould’s role at Channel 9 has been called into question after he was accused of deliberately misleading fans in relation to the signing of Lachlan Galvin.

On Sunday news emerged that Galvin was set to sign a three-year deal with the Bulldogs on around $750,000 a season after turning down a monster $6 million contract extension offer from the Tigers.

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The development seemingly confirmed rumours that the Bulldogs’ general manager of football had been working behind the scenes to negotiate a deal to lure Galvin from the Tigers.

The 67-year-old had batted his eyelids at the young playmaker with glowing public comments about his abilities for months, but repeatedly insisted the club had no interest in signing him.

And even after that was proven untrue, Gould claimed he had nothing to do with the signing of the talented teenager.

“I never said we weren’t interested (in Galvin). What I said was we’re on a different course because he wasn’t off contract until 2027,” Gould said on Monday night. “We couldn’t talk to him until November.”

But veteran journalist Phil Rothfield believes the latest incident has severely damaged his credibility with both fans and the network.

“I reckon he’s been seriously damaged credibility wise and his reputation has been severely damaged at Channel 9 over this,” Rothfield said on the Off the Record podcast.

Buzz Rothfield says Channel 9 viewers have caught onto Phil Gould’s mistruths. Image: Off the Record/Nine

“I think the punters are awake to it and they are the lifeblood of every TV network that provides the ratings. I honestly think he’s been badly damaged and people won’t cop his bullsh** anymore.”

While speaking on Triple Ms daily NRL podcast on Tuesday, Rothfield added: “He gets away with so much rubbish and has for years but he’s been caught on the hop here and in my view, he has misled Channel 9 viewers for some time about Lachlan Galvin.

“Rugby league officials do lie and it’s a fact we have to live with but when you are being paid nearly $1 million to sit on a (TV) panel, you are there to inform and say the truth. But this is where Gus gets himself into an awkward situation. As a viewer, he hasn’t been upfront with us.”

Rothfield also noted that what Gould says and what is true are often two very different things.

“Gus was talking his usual crap about not knowing this, not knowing that and trying to cover himself and I don’t think he did a very good job at it,” Rothfield continued about Gould’s 100% Footy appearance on the Off the Record podcast.

Lachlan Galvin has agreed to join the Bulldogs. Image: NRL PHOTOS

“When he says so clearly that Lachlan Galvin is not on our radar, if you’re not on the radar and if the goalposts move you’re still not on the radar. This crap about that he’s the best kid he’s ever seen is also so disrespectful to (Brad) Fittler, (Laurie) Daley and these guys.

“He said Bryce Cartwright will be the best forward the game’s ever seen. He said that in recruitment meetings at Penrith. Then he sent him to the Titans.

“He said Matt Moylan in 2016 was the future of Penrith and would be a lifetime member here. Next year he sold him to Cronulla.”

Andrew Webster says Phil Gould has blatantly lied to him

Following the Galvin drama, veteran journalist Andrew Webster revealed he hasn’t dealt with Gould for years as he can’t trust what he says.

Webster says years ago he called the Bulldogs general manager for comment about the club’s move to re-sign Josh Reynolds, only for Gould to completely deny it, stating that was categorically not the case, only for that to then come out as being true the following week.

Andrew Webster (pictured) says he hasn’t dealt with Phil Gould for years as he can’t trust his word.

Webster says when he confronted him, Gould reverted to his “bullying tactics” asking, “Are you questioning my integrity”.

“The way that he backs away from major decisions at the clubs he is at and when it all comes out I think is really weak,” Webster said on the Off the Record podcast.

“For a big, hard man of rugby league, he did it with (Anthony) Griffin, he did it with (Trent) Barrett and now he’s trying to do the same thing with Lachlan Galvin.”

“Gus own it, just own it. The line that he had nothing to do with it has to be the biggest load of bulls*** I’ve ever heard.

“You’re a million-dollar general manager of football and you say you have nothing to do with the signing of the hottest prospect of the game after you’ve been wrapping him for the last 12 months, leave me alone cmon.

“If he wants to be disingenuous, lie, and twist the truth whatever because at the end of the day, he got his man but don’t sit there and get the sh**s when people question your integrity.”

Phil Gould has been a Channel 9 regular for many years. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)

Phil Gould claims he never intentionally misleads viewers

When pressed on Monday night about if he deliberately misleads people on 100% Footy, Gould categorically denied doing so, and instead pointed the finger at the media for spinning the truth.

“I’m just saying these are things we do internally, most of our issues are created by the jibber in the media and what you want to do and extend on it,” Gould said on Monday night.

“You say a lot of things that just aren’t true. You say a lot of things that are exaggerated. You exaggerate what’s going on and that makes it difficult for us.

“I’m not going to sit here and point out everything you (Chammas) have done wrong, it doesn’t worry or interest me.”

Gould also added: “I misled no one. I mislead no one. Mind your words son”.

However, whether deliberately or not, several of Gould’s claims have ended up not being accurate over the last 12 months.

Late last year Gould denied the Bulldogs were interested in Knights forward Leo Thompson only for Kiwi international to pen a four-year deal with Canterbury in January.

Gould also denied reports that he’d signed Sitili Tupouniua last year only for the club to confirm a four-year deal a week later.

NRL clubs pushing for a ‘Gus rule’

Webster also pointed out that the Galvin deal wreaks of Gould courting the player while still under contract, something that is against NRL rules.

“Club bosses have been waiting two years for a rule to be formalised banning the likes of the Bulldogs general manager of football from using their media platform to openly court an under-contract player,” Webster wrote in The Australian on Monday.

“Under the old anti-tampering rules, rival clubs could negotiate with a player before the final year of his contract started on November 1 – they just couldn’t sign him. That changed during never-ending collective bargaining agreement negotiations in 2023 when the NRL, RLPA and the clubs agreed there should be no discussions at all.

“The clubs pushed for the rule to go further, prohibiting officials from using the media to sell their club to players still under contract. They may as well have called it the ‘Gus rule’.

“Whether it’s on Nine’s 100% Footy, his weekly podcast, or social media accounts, Gould is the game’s loudest voice.

“Each time Gould has addressed the topic (Galvin), the smirk on his face reminds us that we’ll never understand the backroom deals between clubs and managers as they wrench a player from a rival.”

Originally published as ‘Won’t cop his bullsh** anymore’: Phil Gould’s Ch9 role called into question amid latest drama