With all the buzz around growing the game in the USA, rugby league figure and Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs boss has shared his doubts around Americans making the switch to the NRL.
The NRL's opening games in Las Vegas were a resounding success, with all signs pointing to more growth in the States in the years to come. Part of the Las Vegas event was the NRL combine, an opportunity for athletes to garner some attention from NRL scouts.
Present at the event was Phil Gould, who admitted he wasn't overly impressed with what he saw.
"There was a lot of physical testing; I went and sat and watched it," he said on Wide World of Sports'Â Six Tackles With Gus.
"I don't know where a lot of the players were from. It was a good exercise, and there were a lot of guys who were really trying, but the testing for our game is a hell of a lot different, so you probably wouldn't be signing them on testing results."
Gould conceded that although many athletes who have missed out on NFL contracts are still extremely fit, it is simply too difficult of a transition for them to adjust to.
"Many years ago at the Roosters, we brought out a couple of college athletes who had just missed the draft. They were outstanding athletes - but the nuances of our game were just too difficult.
"The games are just too different... even the bloke I spoke to who was a pro [in Vegas] and has a professional career wouldn't handle a training session that our blokes do.
"They might be able to play park rugby league - but in the NRL, it's too big of an ask."
While he was adamant that NFL athletes couldn't make the switch to NRL, he proposed that it could work if done the other way around.
"I think there's more opportunities for our guys to play their game."
He touched on Jarryd Hayne's short, yet successful, stint in the USA, commending the former Dally M winner for his adjustment to the American league.
"That's what makes it more incredible what Jarryd Hayne did, to go over there and play an NFL game."
While many speculated that Gould was appearing at the combine to scout talent for the Bulldogs, his comments may indicate that we may not be seeing any American's in the Blue and White for the time being.
