BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA - MAY 10: James Maloney of the Panthers shows his disappointment as he talks to his team mates after a Tigers try during the round nine NRL match between the Wests Tigers and the Penrith Panthers at Suncorp Stadium on May 10, 2019 in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
Penrith legend Ryan Girdler has taken a swipe at the Panthers' administration, suggesting they need to shoulder some of the blame for Penrith's poor start to the season.
The Panthers fell to the Tigers 30-4 on Friday night, to move to 2-7 on the season as they currently sit in last place on the ladder.
Girdler unloaded on Triple M on Saturday, and began by speaking about the decision to bring Ivan Cleary back to the club.
“I think you have to talk about the senior administration. I think it’s an absolute mess,” Girdler said.
“I think what they did in the off-season was immoral in relation to approaching a guy that had re-signed and just started his tenure at another club. I think they made decisions based on fear — fear of possibly losing a young player, and I think Nathan carries a lot of that weight around and he shouldn’t because none of it is really his doing.
“I think they overpaid, I think they overpaid the halfback and they overpaid the coach based on fear. When you’re at that level and you’re making decisions based on fear, it generally doesn’t end well.”
Girdler also spoke about Phil Gould and his decision to leave the club, suggesting it was "basic stupidity" by some of the board to make the calls they did.
“To alienate a guy like Phil Gould, whether… and everyone’s got their own opinion of Gus, but to have a great footy mind like that involved in your club and to have administration going away and making decisions basically knowing that that’s going to force Gus’s hand into a redundancy, I think it’s basic stupidity,” Girdler said.
“I think the board needs to be held accountable at some point because everyone is looking at the players and the blow torch is on those guys and Ivan’s going to feel it as well.
“I think when Ivan made a decision to come back under the circumstances in which he left the Tigers, he left himself opened up. They needed to perform this year and they’re not.
“That’s going to bring added heat and added pressure from the journos who are going to be asking those questions now, and Ivan needs to know that’s probably what’s going to happen for the remainder of the year and he’s got a five-year deal.
“I just think the administration and Dave O’Neill on the board there need to be held accountable, as well as the players and Ivan because it takes a contribution from everyone that’s actively involved in the operation of this club to get themselves in this position.”