Penrith general manager Phil Gould speaks to the media after meeting with NRL chief executive David Smith yesterday. Picture: Sam Ruttyn Source: The Daily Telegraph
PHIL Gould has warned NRL fans the investigation into drugs and corruption in rugby league will drag on for months - but the Penrith boss has appealed to everyone in the game to "be patient" and understand why there is a need for strict confidentiality.
Gould was outspoken in his criticism of last week's explosive announcement in Canberra that cast suspicion over every sport and athlete in the country.
While not backing away from those comments, Gould said his briefing yesterday by the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority had opened his eyes to what is going on in rugby league - and why the problem needs to be fixed right now.
Asked if he was blown away by what ASADA told him and the officials from the five other NRL clubs being investigated, Gould said: "I've got a better understanding of what the issues are.
"We were told months rather than weeks, so what that means I don't know but it is not going to happen overnight. The fans need to be patient. We will have a better game at the end of the day."
Gould said he could not reveal any specific information that was passed on to him by ASADA but he defended new NRL boss Dave Smith for refusing to make public names of the individuals being investigated.
"Having met with ASADA in a group meeting with the other clubs and privately with ASADA, I have a far better understanding with the issues that they face and the investigation they are conducting," Gould said. "I totally understand that this won't be a short-term process. It will take time and I also understand the need for confidentiality.
"I have been quite impressed with (Smith) to be honest.
"On the couple of dealings I have had with him and (yesterday) around the meeting chaired by Tony Whitlam QC he has been quite impressive.
"Getting a better understanding of the issues they face, I totally understand how he is restricted in the information he hands out.
"I still don't understand the whole press conference thing last week.
"That is a totally different matter.
"The press conference last week was extremely damaging to the reputation of Australian sport and to the 99 per cent of people who are innocent of any wrongdoing.
"That doesn't hide the fact though that ASADA has a real issue here and it is an issue that needs to be addressed and when they do our game will be all the better for it.
"There will be certain messages that I will be taking back to our playing group and I will be inviting ASADA to come and address them very shortly with information that they need to know."
Asked if the problem was worse than he imagined, he added: "That is an interesting question ... it is a new age, mate, it is a new age. These things are evolving all the time. There is no real answer to that.
"The game will come out of this better and it starts with better education at a younger age to explain to players the pitfalls, the temptations and the influences they will meet along the way."
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