Gus's plan to bolster the bush
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By MICHELLE COOK
Aug. 24, 2012, 4:30 a.m.
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HELPING HAND: Penrith Panthers general manager Phil Gould wants to direct more resources into promoting country rugby league. Photo: GETTY IMAGES
ORANGE could have more players noticed by NRL clubs with Penrith Panthers general manager Phil Gould hoping to include the central west in the clubs development academy.
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Gould was in Orange yesterday to speak at the Western NSW Leadership Primary Principals Association conference.
The Channel Nine identity and former NSW Origin coach said he wanted to help develop players in the country areas to give them the best opportunity to compete at the highest level.
I want to bring a Panthers Academy out to Orange, Gould said.
The academy were setting up, I want to
satellite that to places like Bathurst and Orange and Port Macquarie and different areas around so that weve got development officers and game development officers in each group helping out the volunteers and the local leagues and the school teachers, and giving the kids a better profile and regular visits from the first grade side out this way.
Rome wasnt built in a day but its all on the table to be done in the future.
Gould said country areas were key in the development of the game, particularly at the grassroots level.
Many hope some of the money from the NRLs billion dollar television broadcast deal will go to the grassroots level.
Thats why we pushed so hard to get an independent commission, Gould said.
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Theyll sit back and as business people get to know all the needs of the game ... grassroots, junior leagues to country areas to community programs that need to be done to sell our brand and then also the professionals that
play our game and dedicate their lives to it. There are a lot of people who have their hands up looking for extra funding.
The games been somewhat under-funded up until now and I believe the funds that we did have werent used as wisely as they could have been.
Were certainly hoping for greater expertise in how those funds are handed out now and everyone understands the priorities of grassroots and country rugby league and restoring facilities and support for the volunteers out there who do such great jobs.
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