Phil Gould calls in lawyers to challenge breach notice handed down over NRL tirade

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Phil Gould isn’t backing down from the NRL.

The Canterbury Bulldogs boss and Channel 9 employee is preparing to bring in the lawyers after he was slapped with a breach notice and a $20,000 fine following a blistering tirade on Nine’s 100% Footy last Monday.

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Gould, who is both the Bulldogs GM of football and a member of the Channel 9 commentary team, savaged the league over “stupid” changes that are “tearing (the game) apart”.

On Monday morning the Bulldogs supremo addressed the matter and stated he plans on fighting the charge.

“I’ll certainly be challenging this breach notice, I can let you know that,” Gould told Nine’s Today show.

“I haven’t done anything wrong.

“I’ve got to go through a process… I’ve been too busy to deal with it over the weekend, I’ve had a lot on.

“I’ve got a lot on this week so I’ll have to get a continuance so I can get my lawyer onto it.”

The 66-year-old launched his furious attack following round eight as debate surrounding the kick-off ignited after Moses Suli was knocked out 13-seconds into a game.

Gould fired up saying “we are tearing (the game) apart”, claiming the NRL “don’t listen to the players”.

He then singled out the changes to the drop out, where penalties for a short kick off have been removed in 2024.

He called the decision “ridiculous”.

“Our game is so stupid,” he said.

“You can lose the ball over the line scoring a try and you get penalised 20 metres and seven tackles … why? I don’t know, because it’s stupid.

“But I can just take a line drop out and if it goes out on the full or doesn’t go 10 metres, no consequence, nothing at all. What sort of stupid game is this? Who sits and makes up these rules?”

Similarly, Gould blasted the decision to take a try off Wests Tigers captain Api Koroisau when he was deemed to have lost control of the ball, despite slamming it down over the line.

“We are so stupid with our rules … our game is stupid,” he finished.

In a media release announcing the breach of the NRL Code of Conduct, CEO Andrew Abdo said there was no place for Gould’s comments in the game.

“We welcome constructive criticism and passionate opinions, but registered officials cannot overstep the mark and make comments that are considered detrimental to the game or NRL competition. Destructive attacks on the game itself will not be tolerated,” Abdo said.

“This is a professional sport and our leaders should set the standard around reasoned debate and respect for the game.”

The Code of Conduct relates to club officials, coaches and players and Gould’s comments were deemed to have been detrimental to the best interests of the game.

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