Canterbury Bulldogs director of football addressed an enormous media pack outside of Belmore on Monday, confirming he had nothing to do with the decision for Trent Barrett to quit his post as head coach of the embattled club.
The Bulldogs confirmed on Monday morning that Barrett had decided to resign from the role with players then reportedly sent home from training and told to return on Wednesday when a new interim coach would be in place.
It had been reported the club were set to hold emergency board meetings on Monday before Barrett officially resigned.
While the playing group had been advised not to speak to the media - and did so apart from prop Paul Vaughan calling the assembled throng "the worst kind of people" - Gould didn't bite his tongue, saying Barrett had phoned him on Sunday evening.
“It was Trent’s decision. I certainly wasn’t going to sack him. It’s sad it’s come to this," Gould said.
“I think the performances and pressure, he got the feeling he didn’t have the solutions for what was going wrong.
“That’s how he felt at the time. He made the decision on Sunday night. It was a rollercoaster through Saturday and Sunday.
"Late last night after I had finished the commentary on Nine, we had a long discussion, it was a very difficult discussion, it was pretty raw, he poured his heart out a bit, and he put his heart into this job.
“It’s sad the way it has ended. Hopefully he finds a bit of respite now and a bit of peace.
“He wanted to end the speculation and any pressure on the board to make a decision, so he took it upon himself [to resign].”
Gould's comments will attempt to address the speculation that he and the club board had anything to do with Barrett stepping down from the role following a two and eight start to the season for the side.
Coming off a wooden spoon in 2021, the Bulldogs already hold the competition's worst attacking record this year despite a strong list of signatures.
The pressure has been growing on Barrett for weeks, with the former Manly boss and Penrith assistant coach managing a total of just five wins during his entire stint in charge at Belmore.
The Bulldogs will now turn their attention towards appointing a new coach, although David Furner is tipped to take over in the interim for this week's clash against the Wests Tigers.
