Phil Gould is widely regarded as one of the finest strategists in rugby league history. So, if given the chance, which of the 17 current NRL clubs would he choose to coach?
Currently serving as the general manager of football at the Bulldogs and not looking to move on, Gould’s name inevitably gets mentioned whenever coaching roles open up, particularly for the NSW Blues.
Even though it has been over 20 years since Gould last coached professionally, there is one team he has expressed a keen interest in taking the reins of.
During a casual chat at the beginning of this week’s episode of Wide World of Sports’ Six Tackles With Gus, the 67-year-old mentioned the Gold Coast Titans as possessing one of the most thrilling line-ups in the league, just days before their match against Canterbury.
The Gold Coast boasts a talented roster. Getty
“[They are] a very formidable rugby league team,” Gould commented.
“They’re a solid squad, and if I had the option to coach any team—though I’m no longer in that realm and wouldn’t consider myself a coach by modern standards—it would genuinely be the Gold Coast Titans.”
“They’re brimming with talent … right now, I genuinely believe they’ve got tremendous skill.
“I appreciate that Jayden Campbell is at halfback, [AJ] Brimson is at five-eighth, and [Keano] Kini is stepping up as well.”
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“Their wings are incredibly quick, and their forward pack is impressive too, featuring [Reagan] Campbell-Gillard, Fotuaika, Tino Fa’asuamaleaui, and Beau Fermor; they are all stellar players. The fact that David Fifita is on the bench exemplifies how robust their team is.”
“They’re capable of putting points on the board and have an exciting attacking style.”
Gold Coast is gearing up for their second season under Des Hasler this Sunday, following an opening round bye.
Des Hasler took charge at the Titans last year. Getty
Although their 2024 season under Hasler didn’t start off as planned, Gould is optimistic about the Titans’ prospects of rebounding and resolving their defensive issues that have frequently dogged them.
“That has been their weak spot, but I believe it will eventually improve,” he noted.
“We all expected that with Des Hasler’s arrival, things would change.
“With a second pre-season under his belt, I anticipate they will show significant improvements.”
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