Rugby league guru Phil Gould has denied he warned Jason Ryles against taking the head coaching role at the Dragons, despite admitting the pair are in regular contact.
Ryles this week rejected a long-term offer to lead his former club St George Illawarra out of the wilderness and it has since been reported that Gould was used a sounding board.
While the coaching great confirmed he had recently spoken to Ryles, he played down claims that he had influenced the Roosters' assistant coach to choose another path, resulting in his decision to return to the Melbourne Storm in a role that is likely to ensure that he succeeds Craig Bellamy when he retires.
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Speaking on Wide World of Sports' Six Tackles with Gus podcast, Gould said he has maintained a friendship since Ryles played in his NSW team – the last series he took the reins of as coach – in 2004.
"Every time I travel to Melbourne [when Ryles was posted at the Storm from 2015 to 2020] … we [would] have a coffee together because I just like to keep up with the latest trends," Gould said.
"I know he believes he's ready for an NRL job, and I'm sure he is, but he's chosen to go back to the Melbourne Storm under Craig Bellamy and wait out there.
"I certainly didn't influence his decision. I don't know where people get that from."
Ryles was short-priced favourite to take his first head coaching role at the Dragons, before announcing on Monday he had signed on for a second stint as an assistant under Bellamy at the Storm.
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Ryles is widely tipped to be a long-term head coach at the Storm when Bellamy eventually calls time.
Hours after Ryles' decision became known, the Dragons were also informed by their major sponsor of 40 years, St George Bank, that the company would end its association with the club at the end of next season.
Dragons chief executive Ryan Webb said "it wasn't a great day for the club", but added that Ryles' rejection could still prove to be a "blessing in disguise".
"I'm not dismissing that (Wednesday) wasn't a hard day for anyone at the club, but I don't think it's the end of the world," he said.
Gould agreed, and said the right coach could take the current playing group back up the ladder.
"There's always something to look forward to. I know it seems a little bit tough at the moment, but they'll work it out, they'll find a coach, they've just got to take a long term view towards it," Gould said.
"I can't understand why this team is at the tail of the field, their roster is better than that. They're a better football team than that.
"They've had a lot of narrow losses this year. If they win three or four of those, maybe we're not having this discussion.
"They've just got to get on with it. It's an NRL job, it's a very coveted position, it's one of the great brands in rugby league, the Dragons, and it would be a wonderful job.
"If they get the nursery right, they get their development, their recruitment right, it would be a wonderful job for any coach to have."
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