Gould leaving Panthers with 31⁄2 years left on deal

SYDNEY: Phil Gould’s exit from Penrith is expected to be finalised early next week and the NRL club has promised to pay tribute to the man who helped lift the club off the canvas.

Despite having three and ahalf years left on his deal as general manager of football, Gould and the club’s board yesterday agreed to negotiate the terms of his settlement. Gould told the club his position had become redundant.

Panthers Group chief executive Brian Fletcher said he would meet Gould’s management team early next week, when his financial payout and end date would be decided.

Fletcher said the club would look to commemorate Gould for his profound influence on the organisation.

He did not know what form that would take, but said Gould deserved to be remembered for singlehandedly saving the Panthers League Club, overhauling its junior pathways and building its $A22 million ($NZ3.39 million) academy.

‘‘I came on to the board [of the Panthers Leagues Club] 11 years ago and we owed $112 million and the bank was going to close the 11 clubs down,’’ Fletcher said.

‘‘Through Gus’s friendship with James Packer we were able to borrow $10 million overnight. If we didn’t get that, we wouldn’t be standing here today. And all those other clubs would have been closed.’’

Last year, the Panthers Leagues Club propped up the football club with a $5.9 million grant.

While Gould often divides opinions, he has left an indelible mark on the Panthers.

After coming into the competition in 1967, for much of their early years they were the competition’s easybeats. Gould coached them to their first grand final in his first year in charge in 1990 then to their maiden title in 1991.

Fletcher said five sides had expressed their interest in Gould in recent times, but doubted he would return to ‘‘clubland’’ in a permanent role. — AAP