Dead man walking’: Why Gus’ infamous training session forced Barrett’s exit

[josie andrews]

Trent Barrett’s Bulldogs career was over as soon as his side beat the Roosters in a huge upset victory.

That is according to Paul Kent, who revealed that win reinforced Barrett wasn’t the man to lead the club forward, after Phil Gould inspired the Bulldogs’ unlikely victory with a singular motivational training session.

“There was no support from the board, there was no support from Phil Gould I understand… and to your point, it was jump or be pushed,” Kent said on NRL360.

“ Trent Barrett had no choice, I said weeks ago once Phil Gould got involved he was a dead man walking.”

“You said it, we have been talking about this for three or four weeks, you called it after Gus went into the training session and took over from Trent Barrett, you said the writing is on the wall,” NRL 360 host Braith Anasta said.

“He has also been since then working out the exit plan,” Kent explained.

“ After he got involved and they went out and beat the Roosters, which basically, rather than help Barrett it reinforced the opinion of Trent Barrett, that he wasn’t able to do it.

“Phil Gould in one training session, one motivational rev-up turned them around, enough for a week.

“That reinforced to the board that he wasn’t the right guy for the job, there has been the speculation that it was a matter of time.”

Bulldogs general manager of football Phil Gould spoke to the media today and revealed he
“certainly wasn’t going to sack him”.

But Fox League’s James Hooper didn’t believe Gould’s sentiment for a second, explaining Gus’ influence would have been a contributing factor in Barrett’s exit.

“Either walk or you’re going to be knifed,” Hooper said.

“It is being framed as the board is behind this push, but I think a lot of people will say it is hard to believe someone with the influence and clout that Gus carries in the game, wasn’t involved in that decision.

“But to be really clear about it, Trent Barrett basically had a gun pointed to him and said you either walk or it is going to get ugly.”

The Daily Telegraph’s Buzz Rothfield explained Barrett will now find it hard to get another head coaching role, slumping to only five wins in 35 games at the Bulldogs.

He also agreed with Hooper, explaining Phil Gould’s fingerprints were all over Barrett’s exit.

“It is a really sad day for him, because he is going to struggle to get another head coach job,” Rothfield said.

“ There is no doubt in my mind that this was Gus’ decision, but the board have helped him out and taken the pressure off him.

“Because Gus is so close to Wayne Beavis who manages Trent Barrett and Gus, it was sort of an escape valve for Gus.”

“It was only a fortnight ago Gus Gould said… Trent Barrett would be the long-term coach of the Bulldogs long after I am gone,” Hooper said.

“Here we are ten days later.”

“You don’t walk away like Baz does, everyone knows him, everyone knows he would have stuck it out, he is not a quitter,” Rothfield said.

What has happened Gus has said mate it can’t go on, we need you to resign, they then give him a very handsome severance pay and put confidentiality agreements into it, so Baz won’t be doing any revealing interviews about what happened behind closed doors.”

“Do not fall for any suggestion Trent Barrett walked out on his own.”

They’ve lost their DNA’: Bulldogs great takes aim at club’s recruiting and names his next coach

Canterbury premiership-winning player Braith Anasta has named his candidates to replace Trent Barrett, while taking aim at the club’s recruitment and believes the Dogs have “lost their DNA”.

Anasta said it’ll be tough for the next coach to “have much trust” in the club after Barrett fell on his sword on Sunday night, less than two weeks after Bulldogs general manager Phil Gould promised his position was safe.

But Anasta still believes it’s one of the best jobs in the NRL, regardless of the pressures that come with coaching the former powerhouse club.

Gould said Barrett “poured his heart out” in an emotional late night phone call that led to him resigning on Sunday.

Canterbury won the wooden spoon last year but there was plenty of optimism coming into this season on the back of six star signings.

However the defeats have continued in 2022 and the Bulldogs lost a bottom-of-the-table clash against Newcastle on Friday night.

Barrett won just five of 35 games after taking the reins at the start of last season, one of the worst coaching records in the club’s proud history.

Anasta thought Barrett would be given longer to turn things around but he didn’t blame the club for acting after their shocking start to the season.

“I thought they would give him the opportunity to finish the season after Gus’ comments,” Anasta told foxsports.com.au.

“But I don’t blame them either because their performances have just been well below par for a long time.

As an ex-Bulldog, I want to see them succeed. The only reason I speak about them so much is because I’m so passionate about it and I don’t like seeing them where they are.

“It was once one of the most powerful clubs in the game on and off the field and definitely with performance you knew what you were going to get out of a Bulldogs team every week.

“For decades you knew what you were going to get out of the Bulldogs and when you play at the Bulldogs you know what the expectations are.

“You don’t let the Bulldogs logo down and the expectations are extremely high and that just seems to not be there anymore.

“What are the Bulldogs right now? What style do they play? What is their DNA? Because at the moment you don’t know what you’re going to get.

“So I understand why the decision has been made and unfortunately for Trent, I do feel sorry for him because he’s worked his butt off and you can tell he’s been putting in 100 per cent and doing everything that he can, but unfortunately it just hasn’t worked.”

Matt Burton, Josh Addo-Carr, Tevita Pangai Junior, Matt Dufty, Brent Naden and Paul Vaughan headlined the Dogs’ 2022 recruitment class.

Eels star hooker Reed Mahoney and Panthers premiership-winning star Viliame Kikau will arrive at Belmore next summer.

Anasta said they were all skilled players but emphasised the Dogs should be recruiting more than just talent.

“The big thing with the Bulldogs is the personality of the player they buy, you’ve got to buy a Bulldog,” he said.

“That’s why you need a Bulldog in charge (like Gould), someone who knows what it takes to be a Bulldogs player.

“When you’re looking to sign a player, you don’t just go and look at the next one on the market, you don’t just go and buy one of the best players. You buy obviously high-quality talent but are they going to fit into the Bulldogs system, are they going to be a Canterbury Bulldog?

“That’s what they haven’t done I don’t think with their recruitment.”

Gould declared two weeks ago that “Trent Barrett will be the coach of the Bulldogs long after I’m gone – long after I’m gone”.

Anasta praised Gould as one of the most “intelligent minds” in the game but said it will only be natural for the next coach to be walking on eggshells if the losses continue.

“If you’re a coach going in there, let’s be honest, it’d be hard to have much trust walking into the joint with the mixed messages that Baz would have received, well all of us received, over the last few months,” Anasta said.

“But you didn’t have to be Einstein to work out what was going to happen soon if there wasn’t results and I will defend Gus and say nobody ever says the coach is gone until they’re gone.

“So even know he’s told a bit of a Furphy, it’s not like he’s the first one to ever do it and he won’t be the last.

“As intimidating as Gus is, if the coach goes in and has the support of Gus and they work together… I actually think if I’m a coach I’d love the job because the Bulldogs are an amazing club.

“They’ve got all the resources, they’re financially secure, they’ve got really passionate supporters and they’ve got one of the smartest, brightest, intelligent minds as a general manager.”

Premiership coach Shane Flanagan leads the list of candidates to replace Barrett, while Paul Green is also keen to coach again and has won a title.

Panthers coaching prospect Cameron Ciraldo is the widely regarded as the best assistant in the game but won’t leave the premiers mid-season.

Anasta believes former Bulldogs captain Mick Ennis has what it takes to be a head coach and could make a case to become an interim this season.

“Obviously Flanno wants it, I think that’s been quite evident,” Anasta said.

“There’s been a lot of noise around Flanno as a possibility for a long time now. He’s a premiership-winning coach you know and I think there’s Ciraldo whether he wants to go in there and take it on.

“Paul Green, and no disrespect to Paul I think he’s a really good coach, I just don’t know if he’s a Bulldogs coach. I just can’t see that happening.

“I think Mick Ennis could be keen, he might want to dip his toes in at some point as a coach, he’s definitely got the bug there.

“It’s like Dessy at Manly. Dessy is Manly and I think the Bulldogs are that type of club and I think they really need someone like that because there was a Bulldogs way for such a long time there, it was just entrenched into the joint.

“I don’t know why but they’ve lost their DNA and it’s frustrating because it was so clear and evident as a player when you stepped foot in the door there at Belmore what your expectations are from the club and teammates.”

https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-pr ... 37ee79e436

[Barney841]

That’s why I cringed when people were talking on here about him coming to Wigan.
Never been impressed with Barrett as a coach.
Decent squad this season and last season, still can’t get a tune out of them.