Rugby league greats Billy Slater and Paul Gallen have both lauded the maturity of Bulldogs coach Trent Barrett for showing no “ego” when he allowed Phil Gould to take over a Canterbury training session.
Gould, the Bulldogs’ general manager of football, made headlines last week when it was revealed he took some responsibility off Barrett to give feedback to the playing group during a video session, while also getting hands-on during an on-field session.
With the Bulldogs mired in a form slump with just one win from six games at the time of Gould’s involvement, the move panned out to be a masterstroke after the Bulldogs stunned the Roosters in the upset of the round.
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Slater, who is the newly appointed head coach of the Maroons, said Barrett’s ability not to step out of the way of Gould is a sign of a quality NRL coach.
“Gus is a great mind, he’s been around the game for a long period of time,” Slater told 2GB’s Wide World of Sports radio.
“He knows the game as good as anyone, and he felt he could contribute in a way.
“Trent Barrett would’ve been across it what they were doing, behind it and supporting it.
“The best coaches have the smallest egos. If you have a big ego and only want to hear your own voice, you’re not going to last very long.
“I applaud Trent Barrett for long for different ways to improve the team.”
Gould’s storied history in rugby league as a player, coach, commentator, writer and administrator is well documented.
He was just 30 when he guided the Bulldogs to a title as a coach in 1988 before adding another premiership ring to his hand in 1991 with Penrith. He’s also the most successful NSW Blues coach in history with six Origin series wins.
Gallen followed Slater’s comments with similar sentiment.
The former Cronulla and NSW captain said Barrett’s “maturity” was similar to that of Melbourne Storm coach Craig Bellamy, who also had a coach alongside him helping out while taking charge of the Blues in the Origin arena between 2008-2010.
“Phil Gould’s involvement sent everyone into a frenzy last week, but Trent Barrett is smart enough to know that sometimes a move like that can work,” Gallen wrote in his column for Wide World of Sports.
“Trent has asked the great Gus to have a word to the boys, and it worked. Who knows, maybe Gus put them all on notice, and he’s about the only bloke in rugby league who can get away with that!
“Some will see it as a weakness from Barrett, but I see it as a sign of maturity. It doesn’t matter who you are, you should never be too proud to ask for help.
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“I remember during an Origin camp, Craig Bellamy had a life coach with him, telling him what he’s doing right or wrong.
“Craig is one of the game’s most successful coaches and he’s not too proud to ask for help.
“Given that, why would Barrett, who’s coached about 100 games, knock back any advice from Gus, who’s been around forever? It’s not a weakness. I worry about the players receiving mixed messages, but only those in the inner circle at the club know if that’s a problem or not.
“The Bulldogs were great against a Roosters side that is really lacking in consistency at the moment, they’ve got two competition points against a side many tipped to finish top-four. That’s all that matters.”
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