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http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...it-for-rabbitohs/story-e6frext9-1226039272092
Artwork by Scott 'Boo' Bailey. Source: The Daily Telegraph
PHIL Gould sat back in the chair on set at The Sunday Roast and his eyes may or may not have been open. It's hard to tell these days.
He did that gentle great heave of his and, with the air slowly running out of him, began to oh-so-accurately dissect the problems at South Sydney.
On the Roast and on Nine's footy coverage, or wherever he emerges next, Gould has been spot on about what troubles Souths and why they continue to struggle.
"Look at Sandow," he said one time.
Chris Sandow, the little halfback, had drifted to the short side.
There are only two reasons a halfback finds himself drifting short side. He has seen something in the defence, and is about to overcall and put something on, or he is lost and looking for a short breather.
Sandow didn't put anything on.
So here's a little charity.
Get Phil Gould to coach.
Now that Newcastle has announced the Third Coming, Wayne Bennett's intention to coach the Knights next year, the possibility of Gould returning to coaching has never been greater.
Nathan Tinkler is paying silly money for Wayne Bennett. Bennett maintains that his own decision was not about money and that if it was, he would have remained at St Wayne Illawarra.
It's not true that Bennett walked across Lake Macquarie to sign the deal, but in his defence he wasn't asked to, either. Nevertheless, the million-dollar barrier has broken and Gould's eyes have no doubt dusted over, dreaming of all the slow horses he can back with those kind of bikkies.
Gould has always said he is finished with coaching, mostly because he earned more money at Nine for a fraction of the stress. But this was before Tinkler changed the rules.
Alas Souths, overlooking the obvious, are beckoning across the ocean to Michael Maguire in Wigan when the answer is right here in Sydney.
Gould knows the landscape. Knows Sydney and the media and the special ache Souths fans have suffered for years. And he is the right type of coach for South Sydney right now.
He is not the drill sergeant type, creating men from boys.
Not a rebuilder, like those who can take a club from 16th to fifth but struggle at the next step, taking them from fifth to first.
Gould wasn't the man for Souths five years ago, but he is now.
He is a general.
He won his first premiership, in his first season as coach, after following Warren Ryan.
Ryan had already educated the players with a football grounding second to none. But he had worn thin by his end.
Gould took what was already there, freshened them, and turned them into premiers. He did it again at Penrith. Took over after Ron Willey had got them to within a game of the finals and players like Mark Geyer and Brad Fittler were just emerging, while Greg Alexander and John Cartwright were bouncing around at their peak.
A grand final the first year, a premiership the second.
He did it again and again in Origin, where winning is all about finessing the good ones. Unfortunately, like at the Bulldogs, it didn't last long. But I'm not saying Souths should sign him to a five-year term.
The Rabbitohs are now where the Bulldogs were, where Penrith were. On the launchpad, waiting for the right person to press the button.
John Lang has already announced his intention to retire at the end of the year.
With the Rabbitohs struggling but oh-so-close, why not dangle a seven-figure cheque in front of Gould to finish off this season and take them on next year?
Years ago Kevin Sheedy looked over the tightening belt of salary caps and announced the next great innovation in the game will come in the paying of ideas. It only makes sense.
Clubs can spend only up to the salary cap on players (plus or minus 10 or 20 per cent, depending on how thick they are in benefactors), but there is no limit to how much they can spend around the club.
Already clubs have tapped out how much they can spend on football operations, with all their plunge pools and hyperbaric chambers.
What hasn't changed is that coaches make the real difference, the coaches and their ideas, and that only so many coaches are true winners.
Gould is a winner.
You can see it with your eyes closed.
- Paul Kent
- From: The Daily Telegraph
- April 15, 2011 12:00AM
Artwork by Scott 'Boo' Bailey. Source: The Daily Telegraph
PHIL Gould sat back in the chair on set at The Sunday Roast and his eyes may or may not have been open. It's hard to tell these days.
He did that gentle great heave of his and, with the air slowly running out of him, began to oh-so-accurately dissect the problems at South Sydney.
On the Roast and on Nine's footy coverage, or wherever he emerges next, Gould has been spot on about what troubles Souths and why they continue to struggle.
"Look at Sandow," he said one time.
Chris Sandow, the little halfback, had drifted to the short side.
There are only two reasons a halfback finds himself drifting short side. He has seen something in the defence, and is about to overcall and put something on, or he is lost and looking for a short breather.
Sandow didn't put anything on.
So here's a little charity.
Get Phil Gould to coach.
Now that Newcastle has announced the Third Coming, Wayne Bennett's intention to coach the Knights next year, the possibility of Gould returning to coaching has never been greater.
Nathan Tinkler is paying silly money for Wayne Bennett. Bennett maintains that his own decision was not about money and that if it was, he would have remained at St Wayne Illawarra.
It's not true that Bennett walked across Lake Macquarie to sign the deal, but in his defence he wasn't asked to, either. Nevertheless, the million-dollar barrier has broken and Gould's eyes have no doubt dusted over, dreaming of all the slow horses he can back with those kind of bikkies.
Gould has always said he is finished with coaching, mostly because he earned more money at Nine for a fraction of the stress. But this was before Tinkler changed the rules.
Alas Souths, overlooking the obvious, are beckoning across the ocean to Michael Maguire in Wigan when the answer is right here in Sydney.
Gould knows the landscape. Knows Sydney and the media and the special ache Souths fans have suffered for years. And he is the right type of coach for South Sydney right now.
He is not the drill sergeant type, creating men from boys.
Not a rebuilder, like those who can take a club from 16th to fifth but struggle at the next step, taking them from fifth to first.
Gould wasn't the man for Souths five years ago, but he is now.
He is a general.
He won his first premiership, in his first season as coach, after following Warren Ryan.
Ryan had already educated the players with a football grounding second to none. But he had worn thin by his end.
Gould took what was already there, freshened them, and turned them into premiers. He did it again at Penrith. Took over after Ron Willey had got them to within a game of the finals and players like Mark Geyer and Brad Fittler were just emerging, while Greg Alexander and John Cartwright were bouncing around at their peak.
A grand final the first year, a premiership the second.
He did it again and again in Origin, where winning is all about finessing the good ones. Unfortunately, like at the Bulldogs, it didn't last long. But I'm not saying Souths should sign him to a five-year term.
The Rabbitohs are now where the Bulldogs were, where Penrith were. On the launchpad, waiting for the right person to press the button.
John Lang has already announced his intention to retire at the end of the year.
With the Rabbitohs struggling but oh-so-close, why not dangle a seven-figure cheque in front of Gould to finish off this season and take them on next year?
Years ago Kevin Sheedy looked over the tightening belt of salary caps and announced the next great innovation in the game will come in the paying of ideas. It only makes sense.
Clubs can spend only up to the salary cap on players (plus or minus 10 or 20 per cent, depending on how thick they are in benefactors), but there is no limit to how much they can spend around the club.
Already clubs have tapped out how much they can spend on football operations, with all their plunge pools and hyperbaric chambers.
What hasn't changed is that coaches make the real difference, the coaches and their ideas, and that only so many coaches are true winners.
Gould is a winner.
You can see it with your eyes closed.
