Phil Gould

P’matta junior became the youngest captain in Penrith's history as a 20-year-old in 1978. Gould was a lock back then, with stints at fullback, five-eighth and second row to follow, and also a keen goal-kicker. Following the retirement of Mick Stephenson, Gould was made captain for his second full first grade match. Two detached retina injuries threatened his early career but moving to Newtown, he played second row in the 1981 grand final loss to P’matta and set up a try for Brian Hetherington with a brilliant short pass. After several seasons with C’bury (premiers in 1984-85) and Souths, he retired at the end of 1986 when he was offered the job of C’bury reserve grade coach. When Warren Ryan left the Bulldogs at the end of 1987 Gould stepped into the top job and promptly won the 1988 premiership - at age 30 - the youngest coach to do so. ‘Dally M’ Coach of the Year in 1988, Gould quickly stamped his mark as a tactically brilliant, thoroughly professional coach but the following year was a major disappointment. His departure from the Bulldogs was a bitter one, but Gould bounced back with consecutive grand finals at Penrith, culminating in the club’s 1991 premiership success. In 1992, he took NSW to State of Origin victory and it was his professionalism that held the Panthers together as the club unravelled during the turmoil of that year. By 1994 he had stretched his State of Origin winning sequence to three series but surprised many with his timing when he quit the Panthers before the end of the season to link with Easts for 1995. Gould was an outspoken opponent of Super League and was instrumental in signing key players to the ARL. He resigned as NSW coach following the Blues’ loss to an under-strength Queensland team in 1995 and the ensuing seasons saw him concentrate on his domestic club duties with the Roosters, taking the club to the finals in five consecutive years before announcing his retirement at the end of the 1999 season. After a two-year break, in which Gould kept a steady pace as a media commentator in print, radio and TV, he returned to the Roosters as coaching director and was named NSW State of Origin coach for 2002. Following a drawn series in 2002 and an authoritative series win in 2003, Gould weathered a concerted media backlash against his outspoken views on the game and resigned as Blues mentor after the 2004 series - the most successful State of Origin coach in history (eight series between 1992 and 2004 for six series wins; 24 games - 14 wins, 9 losses and 1 draw). Biography, As Good as Gould (1997).