Panthers sack Griffin 4 weeks from finals

[OldPanther]

I hope I never here Gould say ''for the good of the game'' or alike ever gain because its clear he really doesn't give 2 sh*ts about the game.

What little reputation he had left has now also gone as far as i'm concerned.

Still no proof Panthers have done anything wrong.

 

[Todd Hoffman]

It's mid-season. Penrith is 5th on the ladder. There was no big incident (that we are aware) that made his position as coach untenable to at least finish the season. Griffin wasn't caught sniffing coke or caught with his pants down in a gay brothel or any other public indiscretion.

Sacking a coach while the team is performing & a chance of playing finals football at this stage of the season would have a big destabilising affect on the players (unless they all despised him a la Jason Taylor) It doesn't make any sense judging from what we know.
It would make way more sense to sack the coach at the end of the season.

There must be more to this story ...... or, Gould & the board have lost the plot.

Sounds like the board were panicking Cleary jnr was on his way out the door to join his Father and they acted too hastily through O'Neil. I suspect there are a few on the board that think it was a mistake to get rid of Ivan and a mistake in appointing Griffin or at least extending his deal.

With Gould falling out with Griffin. O'Neil started the ball rolling by floating the idea to Ivan about coming back, Ivan gives him some form of yes, either next year or later. Ivan tells Pascoe which would be leaked to the media through Pascoe. Can't blame him.
Cue the media circus that would come.
Meanwhile Gould who fell out big time with Griffin and is a control freak who has lost his input into the team, spots an ideal opportunity to get rid of Griffin ASAP before the media shit hits the fan and more importantly get back control of the team.
Listening to Gould yesterday I have doubts he personally wants Ivan back? What happened last time you would think their working relationship would be difficult.
Financially its a mega stuff up

My thoughts could be wrong.

 

[chrisD]

I don't think Gould wanted him gone, and especially not for Ivan lol. He was talking about managing a way forward with Griffin for the rest of his contract, a very dark timeline that could have been had Davo not accidentally poached Cleary.

 

[TheFrog]

He was fired because he wouldn't/couldn't work with staff to overcome his issues as a coach.

This is Gus's story. You are welcome to believe it, I don't.

 

[OldPanther]

This is Gus's story. You are welcome to believe it, I don't.

Supported by what Daz and what ex players have said from both Pnathers and Broncos.

Until curther information comes out there is stronger evidence for this than anything else.

 

[Legion]

The problem is we have no facts to say what happened behind closed doors other than rumors and the opposingagendas of Gus(running Penrith) and Griffin(Wants to look good to keep working). The club and some private sources have said Griffin had fallen out with staff and players. From what we have heard the board approached Cleary which accelerated Griffin leaving.

Until we get more facts we can't say Gus is in the wrong here but people dislike him so it's easy.

What we need is to hear from Ivan.

Agree that there must be more to the story than what's been made public. But ... there would have to have been an incident or situation that made Griffins position impossible to continue. To sack a coach at this point in the season while in 5th position makes no sense what-so-ever based on what we've heard (which suggests that Gould is a megalomaniac control freak)
Griffin has done a good job so far. Are there other coaches who could do a better job? Possibly, yes. If so, sack him at the end of the year, not 4 weeks out from the finals.
No coach should feel safe to do his job the best way that he knows how under Gould, especially not Ivan Cleary.
No-one could tell me that Gould was unaware of how Griffin coached. As the GM Gould has his job, the coach has his.
If Gould wants to dictate how a coach goes about performing his duties then maybe he should appoint himself as the coach.

And no, I never disliked Gus. He really changed when he became Penriths GM though. This latest debacle shows that he's no longer interested in what's good for the game. Now it's all about him.

 

[OldPanther]

Agree that there must be more to the story than what's been made public. But ... there would have to have been an incident or situation that made Griffins position impossible to continue. To sack a coach at this point in the season while in 5th position makes no sense what-so-ever based on what we've heard (which suggests that Gould is a megalomaniac control freak)
Griffin has done a good job so far. Are there other coaches who could do a better job? Possibly, yes. If so, sack him at the end of the year, not 4 weeks out from the finals.
No coach should feel safe to do his job the best way that he knows how under Gould, especially not Ivan Cleary.
No-one could tell me that Gould was unaware of how Griffin coached. As the GM Gould has his job, the coach has his.
If Gould wants to dictate how a coach goes about performing his duties then maybe he should appoint himself as the coach.

And no, I never disliked Gus. He really changed when he became Penriths GM though. This latest debacle shows that he's no longer interested in what's good for the game. Now it's all about him.

Griffin hasn't done well. Our position on the ladder has masked his deficiencies. He took a talented bunch of players who have been winning since juniors and made them fit. He's show he's a terrible game day coach as evidenced by past players and fans of both clubs he's been at.



"This latest debacle shows that he's no longer interested in what's goodfor the game. Now it's all about him."

How has it shown that? No one has been able to actually show an example of what he's done that's wrong. It just comes back to labeling me Gus's PR guy when people can't do it.

 

[Disinterested third party]

Hook might suck as a coach but Gould is just insufferable. Great choice.

 

[mxlegend99]

This is Gus's story. You are welcome to believe it, I don't.

Griffin pretty much confirmed it himself. His spin is different obviously. But ultimately he didnt want Gus having any input into the team and he thought anything other staff had to share was from Gus.

 

[Legion]

Griffin hasn't done well. Our position on the ladder has masked his deficiencies. He took a talented bunch of players who have been winning since juniors and made them fit. He's show he's a terrible game day coach as evidenced by past players and fans of both clubs he's been at.



"This latest debacle shows that he's no longer interested in what's goodfor the game. Now it's all about him."

How has it shown that? No one has been able to actually show an example of what he's done that's wrong. It just comes back to labeling me Gus's PR guy when people can't do it.

He may well have had "deficiencies" but can't you see that sacking him at this point in the season is a ridiculous decision that reflects poorly on the game?

Yes rugby league is now a big business but it's a game first & foremost. Team loyalty seems to now be nonexistent.
Trying to entice another teams coach when in his first year of a 3 year contract (where he's been brought into implement a rebuilding plan) is as grubby as it gets.

Where have I claimed that your "Gus's PR guy"? You've got every right to have your opinion.

 

[Juju]

"This latest debacle shows that he's no longer interested in what's goodfor the game. Now it's all about him."

How has it shown that? No one has been able to actually show an example of what he's done that's wrong. It just comes back to labeling me Gus's PR guy when people can't do it.

Well gloating in the media you have had current FG coaches enquiring about the Panthers role is a dick move and potentially destabilising for other clubs.

 

[OldPanther]

He may well have had "deficiencies" but can't you see that sacking him at this point in the season is a ridiculous decision that reflects poorly on the game?

Yes rugby league is now a big business but it's a game first & foremost. Team loyalty seems to now be nonexistent.
Trying to entice another teams coach when in his first year of a 3 year contract (where he's been brought into implement a rebuilding plan) is as grubby as it gets.

Where have I claimed that your "Gus's PR guy"? You've got every right to have your opinion.

You didn't say that but it has been said.

This time of year makes no difference to me. I'm happy Ciraldo gets a few weeks practice before the finals and we don't get stuck with a shit coach to ruin our Prem chances. I feel it's better now than later.

"Trying to entice another teams coach whenin his first year of a 3 year contract (where he's been brought into implement a rebuilding plan) is as grubby as it gets"

Panthers haven't done this. This is the part I keep reminding people is assumption. The only story that has come out is Panthers wanted Cleary for 2021 and Ivan wanted to come earlier. This was said by Gus and is exactly the rumor Paul Kent said. So far no information has come out Panthers have enticed Ivan for an earlier contract.

Well gloating in the media you have had current FG coaches enquiring about the Panthers role is a dick move and potentially destabilising for other clubs.

I'm not sure how. Outside sport people do this all the time. I don't think other clubs will care unless names are dropped. If Gus came out and said a list of 5 current coaches I'd be calling it a shit move.

 

[ek999]

Absolutely no way Penrith would be wanting to sign a coach 2.5 years out. You effectively lose the next couple of seasons because you are in caretaker mode and you can't build the squad that the coach wants because he has no input on the recruitment.

This is clearly an attempt by the Panthers to get Cleary for next year by trying to force the Togers to release him as Cleary would effectively now be a caretaker coach looking to move elsewhere

 

[taipan]

For stability sake Ivan should adhere to his contract at the Tigers ,then decide where to go.
I feel sorry for the Tigers,who have been screwed, spat out, and just when they sit down for a meal, someone tries to pull the tablecloth under them.
Let Ciraldo have his go and how runs with it.He may well be the coach they really need.

 

[OldPanther]

For stability sake Ivan should adhere to his contract at the Tigers ,then decide where to go.
I feel sorry for the Tigers,who have been screwed, spat out, and just when they sit down for a meal, someone tries to pull the tablecloth under them.
Let Ciraldo have his go and how runs with it.He may well be the coach they really need.

Who has done that to them? No contract has been offered and Ivan hasn't asked for a release. Ivan's silence is creepy and makes us think the worst but we have no idea.

 

[taipan]

Who has done that to them? No contract has been offered and Ivan hasn't asked for a release. Ivan's silence is creepy and makes us think the worst but we have no idea.

I'm not stating they have.I'm staying hypothetically.I'm fully aware of what Marino Go the Tigers Chair stated on Fox last night.
Too many things are being thrown up.

 

[mxlegend99]

Absolutely no way Penrith would be wanting to sign a coach 2.5 years out. You effectively lose the next couple of seasons because you are in caretaker mode and you can't build the squad that the coach wants because he has no input on the recruitment.

This is clearly an attempt by the Panthers to get Cleary for next year by trying to force the Togers to release him as Cleary would effectively now be a caretaker coach looking to move elsewhere

Or just show Nathan they tried. Get him to extend suggesting he will be here in 2 years and then hope after 2 years pass he doesn't question it.

I dont think the club care if Ivan coaches them as much as keeping Nathan. Ivan just happens to be better than Hook while giving them a guarantee Nathan stays

 

[Knight76]

Some thoughts...

https://www.news.com.au/sport/nrl/p...y/news-story/6971a61964687bc522d688de45c3c8e1

Gus starts this article saying he didn't know anything about how the knife got in Griffins back, and then later stars weeing all over the place.

“Never was this a discussion about Nathan, never was this a discussion about 2019,” Gould said. “That’s never been the suggestion, it’s got nothing to do with it.

“Never have we thought getting Ivan back to the club would solve the Nathan Cleary situation.”

Which is it Gus, you weren't involved in the discussion or you were?

Secondly, Gus is GM there. Apparently has defended Griffin earlier in the year when the board apparently wanted him gone, and suddenly he is called to a meeting an "instructed" to get rid of Griffin.

Being GM and not even being in the discussion at the end (according to Gus), not even to seek your further input, surely his position at the club in untenable.

 

[The Rosco]

Still no proof Panthers have done anything wrong.

Gee, I'd love to live in your version of reality.

 

[OldPanther]

Gee, I'd love to live in your version of reality.

Funny how this sort of snarky reply is all I get. Yeah you're being funny but still not showing any actual wrong doing.