'Come at me': Phil Gould fires up over Kyle Flanagan drama
Canterbury Bulldogs football boss Phil Gould has angrily responded to suggestions the club's management of Kyle Flanagan amounts to having 'thrown him to the wolves'.
Flanagan has found himself regularly coming in and out of the lineup as coach Trent Barrett searched for the right combination amid a disastrous 3-21 season last year, and he seemed to remain out of favour at Canterbury in 2022.
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However in the wake of the Bulldogs' woeful 44-0 thumping at the hands of the Melbourne Storm, Flanagan has been called back into the side to partner Matt Burton at halfback.
Set to face reigning premiers Penrith this weekend, the move to bring Flanagan back in was heaviliy criticised by some NRL observers who felt the 23-year-old was being hard done by.
Barrett has been accused of setting the halfback up to fail in the clash against Penrith, with Canterbury's last premiership-winning five-eighth Braith Anasta labelling the selection a hospital pass.
Gould has since hit back at those claims, declaring on his Six Tackles with Gus podcast that it he he who had made the decision to bring Flanagan in, citing impressive his contributions to the Bulldogs' reserve side's undefeated record.
“It’s my responsibility for how Kyle has been prepared for this season and when he comes back into the NRL,” Gould said.
“Not Trent Barrett, not the Bulldogs. That’s me.
“If they want to come at me with duty of care and coaching and development of players — and I’ve developed a few players in my career — then I’m happy to debate them anywhere, anytime.
“But this vitriolic and vehement attack on our coach and on the club, it won’t be tolerated. If they want to come at anyone, come at me.
“Kyle Flanagan doesn’t need this type of pressure coming into the game. He’s under no pressure from us and no pressure when he plays for us. It’s not up to Kyle Flanagan to turn us around, hopefully we can be part of the process of helping Kyle Flanagan become a regular NRL player.
“If this kid’s name was Kyle Smith, do you think we would be going through this?
I can tell you mentally, physically and football wise, he’s the best he’s been in a long time.”
Flanagan was always Dogs' plan, Trent Barrett says
Flanagan's return against defending premiers Penrith has prompted fierce debate around the Bulldogs' handling of the half, with the team on a three-game losing streak.
In addition to Gould's defence of their halfback, Barrett said Flanagan had always been in the frame for selection his week.
"We had a plan from the get go, so we stuck to it," Barrett said.
"I think it's worked. Kyle's performances (in NSW Cup) have helped him relax a little and he's playing well.
"They're the only factors that really came into it, when we thought he was ready.
"There were discussions with Kyle and other people close to him about how we wanted him to develop.
"We thought that he needed time to work on a few things in his game. And to his credit, he's done that."
Barrett said he had not had conversations with Flanagan around how long the No.7 jersey would be guaranteed, after both Jake Averillo and Brandon Wakeham lasted only two weeks.
Instead, he claimed he hoped Flanagan could hold it for the next 10 seasons, insisting he was what the Bulldogs now needed at halfback.
"We don't have to have those conversations. Kyle's a grown man," Barrett said.
"We've got to pick teams that we think can win on the weekend and give us our best chance of winning."
With AAP
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