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EXCLUSIVE: Phil Gould responds to Anthony Griffin furore that could end friendship
By Tim Elbra
Phil Gould has slammed claims that he campaigned against new Dragons coach Anthony Griffin being given the job, saying such accusations could end a 40-year friendship with leading agent Wayne Beavis.
Gould's name has been discussed regularly amid Griffin's appointment; specifically, claims that he fell out with Griffin when they worked together at Penrith, that he sacked Griffin in his capacity as Panthers general manager and that he has since run a campaign against Griffin's coaching career.
"To suggest that I've been part of some sort of media agenda to prevent him getting another coaching role is a disgrace. It just simply isn't true," Gould told Wide World of Sports on his Six Tackles with Gus podcast, speaking with James Bracey.
Phil Gould and Anthony Griffin. (Sydney Morning Herald)
Griffin is managed by Beavis. Gould said that he had been deeply wounded by the Griffin furore, given Beavis' proximity.
"The most hurtful thing through all of this is that Anthony Griffin is managed by Wayne Beavis, who's been a very dear friend of mine for 40 years," Gould said.
"Now, it pains me to say: I don't know if Wayne was a party to this ridiculous and scurrilous campaign, to involve my name as a lever to securing Anthony Griffin a job at the Dragons but by his silence on this issue, I can only assume that he has endorsed this tactic and allowed it to play out the way it has.
"To allow people to make these types of accusations and misrepresent things so blatantly and over a long period of time, without Wayne stepping in to correct the narrative, is extremely disappointing on a personal note. And I find it devastating, in fact, from a personal view.
"I doubt that I'll ever speak to Wayne Beavis again. And we're talking about a dear and valued friendship. I love him dearly but I've been deeply hurt by the antics of the past week - and that's all I will say about that."
Wide World of Sports relayed Gould's comments verbatim to Beavis, who replied: "That's sad but I've got no comment to make." Beavis formerly managed Gould's career.
Griffin appeared on NRL 360 on Tuesday night, repeating the claim that he had fallen out with Gould when axed from Penrith in August 2018. The sacking came just four weeks out from the finals, with the Panthers running fifth. Griffin had two years remaining on his contract, having been appointed at Penrith in 2016.
"Fundamentally, that relationship broke down," Griffin said of working with Gould. "I'm not proud of that but I've moved on."
Griffin said that he was unsure of Gould's precise involvement in his sacking and was unconcerned about any ongoing animosity. He has signed a two-year deal to coach the Dragons, with the option for a third season in the club's favour.
Anthony Griffin during his Penrith tenure. (Getty)
Griffin, 54, was also sacked by Brisbane after coaching the Broncos from 2011-14. He has coached 173 NRL games at a career win rate of 55 per cent.
Gould said that he had had no involvement whatsoever in Griffin's career after his departure from Penrith. Griffin's appointment has partly descended into a clash between leading journalists from Nine Newspapers and News Corp. Griffin has been a News Corp NRL contributor.
"How my name became involved in Anthony Griffin's application to coach the Dragons completely defies belief, on normal circumstances," Gould said.
"The fact that News Limited journalists went down this path to promote their employee, Anthony Griffin, for this job is not surprising. News Limited journalists have been running a campaign against me for 25 years. You've seen it, everyone's seen it.
"But for them to suggest that my relationship with Anthony Griffin was the only thing that was going to stand in his way of getting this job at the Dragons, or that somehow I was involved in some campaign to prevent him getting this job or any other job, it highly scurrilous in the extreme.
Phil Gould during his time as Panthers GM. (AAP)
"They have been running this ridiculous story for two years, that Anthony Griffin lost his job at Panthers because he fell out with me. Let me just say this once again, for the record: Anthony Griffin did not lose his job at Panthers because he fell out with me.
"In fact, every staff member at Panthers, including myself, did everything possible to assist Anthony Griffin. I won't go into any more detail than that.
"Secondly, I did not sack Anthony Griffin. That was an instruction from the board at the time, confirmed by Panthers chairman Dave O'Neill in The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper this morning. Again, I won't give any more detail on that but that's a fact.
"I have never given a reference to an NRL club regarding Anthony Griffin. This was a promise I made to his manager, Wayne Beavis, who is a very dear and personal friend of mine.
"In the end, I was never put in that position because no NRL club has ever called me asking for a reference on Anthony Griffin. I don't know how many jobs he's applied for in the last 12 months, I have no idea, because no one ever rang me for a reference.
"Very few journalists, and I can't even remember which ones, have ever asked me for a comment on Anthony Griffin. A, because they know I wouldn't give them one anyway; if I was ever asked for a comment on Anthony Griffin, I've either politely declined or deflected the conversation away from the question."
Phil Gould after resigning as Panthers general manager in 2019. (Sydney Morning Herald)
Gould said that he wished Griffin well in the Dragons job. He said that the club, which will miss this season's finals and is a decade removed from its last premiership, was badly in need of resurgence.
Gould, a premiership-winning coach at Canterbury and Penrith, as well as an iconic NSW State of Origin boss, carried out a review into St George Illawarra at the end of last season. He has since criticised the process and said the lack of genuine changes made by the club had contributed to the sacking this year of coach Paul McGregor.
Gould said that he was not prepared to remain silent any longer on claims made against him during Griffin's appointment. He said he was saddened that his friendship with Beavis could become a casualty of the furore.
"There are just some things, sometimes, that go beyond the norm of the to-and-fro of the media war and the other issues within the game," Gould said.
"I take this one extremely personally because I have not been a party to any campaign, I have never criticised this man [Griffin] to anyone, any club or any individual or any journalist, at any time.
"I'm very saddened that those around Anthony Griffin, who have been trying to do the best for him to get him a job ... and I understand that part of it, but to have me included in this as a tactic to do that has been quite devastating, to be honest.
"Sadly, it could well end a dear and valued friendship over a long period of time."
Gould himself departed the Panthers last year, resigning from his general manager role after building the first-rate junior development system that has helped Penrith to top spot on the NRL ladder this season, with a first premiership since 2003 in sight.
phil gould
anthony griffin
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