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Phone call Gus Gould must make for the struggling Bulldogs

NRL commentator Gus Gould (pictured left) during commentary and (pictured right) former Manly manager Geoff Toovey during a press conference.
Should the Bulldogs' Gus Gould (pictured left) call former Manly manager Geoff Toovey (pictured right) in the search for a new manager. (Getty Images)

Geoff Toovey doesn't have a manager.

Nor does he appear regularly on TV panels or weekend radio gibberfests where footy talk is crammed in between gee-ups.

The only podcasting he does is when his fishing line lands on a plant in Narrabeen Lake.

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Toovey doesn’t ring journos to push his cause at the first sign a coach is a dead man walking or email his CV the minute a vacancy opens up.

He refuses to play the game others play to get to where they want to get to.

It's surely the only reason his name is never mentioned when the same list of coaching candidates is thrown out there each time some poor bloke gets the chop.

Which brings us to Canterbury.

The last time we checked, the Dogs were still hunting a coach for next year and beyond.

Shane Flanagan seems to have done his dash after heavily spruiking for the role, Cameron Ciraldo looks like staying at Penrith, Anthony Seibold is not interested, and current interim Mick Potter is more than happy to hand the keys back after round 25.

So, why not Toovey?

Geoff Toovey's strong Manly record

As discussed here before, his record in four years at Manly was nothing short of outstanding.

Three finals appearances, including a losing grand final, and one ninth-placed finish for a winning percentage of 58 per cent.

That tough, uncompromising, no bullshit, all-passion operator Canterbury is chasing, is Toovey.

It was there throughout his playing days and carried through into his coaching career.

What's not to like?

It's got us beat.

Sea Eagles supporters (pictured) hold up a banner for former coach Geoff Toovey in 2019.
Sea Eagles supporters (pictured) hold up a banner for former coach Geoff Toovey in 2019. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images) (Mark Kolbe via Getty Images)

Ask around the game and no-one can give you a definitive answer as to why Toovey hasn’t got close to landing a job since departing Manly.

The man himself is lost for an answer.

We rang to check if he was still interested in pursuing a return to the NRL and he confirmed he was.

You just won't see him pushing his own barrow or working the phones to make it happen.

Toovey doesn’t need a job.

Life is good away from rugby league.

He's really happy helping out as an assistant coach with the Warringah Rats in the Sydney rugby competition.

But surely it's worth Tooves' old Origin mentor, Canterbury boss Phil Gould, picking up the phone for a chat.

It might turn out to be the call that changes the Bulldogs' destiny.

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