Phil Gould is happy to work alongside Ivan Cleary if the NSWRL approves Brad Fittler's plan to bring him into the State of Origin fold next year.
Fittler has approached Gould about an advisory role as he attempts to convince NSWRL to give him another contract following two straight series losses.
A decision on Fittler's future was initially expected on Wednesday, but has now been pushed back as the Blues board weighs up the incumbent coach's plan.
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Fittler brought premiership-winning coach Cleary into his box for this year's Origin finale, which NSW won, and Gould said he'd be happy to work alongside the Panthers coach again in the future.
"There is no issue between me and Ivan, there never has been," he told Wide World of Sports' Six Tackles With Gus podcast.
"One of the things I did say to him is he should have a current-day coach.
"A current-day coach, even just for game day, is very important particularly in the coaches' box because Brad Fittler is coaching three games a year. He's not used to interchanges, dealing with head bins, injuries, and Ivan popped in for the last game."
Gould's willingness to work alongside the man he infamously fired in 2014 is a sign that the once-frosty relationship has since thawed.
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Cleary also paid tribute to Gould following the Panthers' grand final win last year, crediting the ex-Panthers supremo for building the NRL's best academy.
While Gould is willing to come on board to help Fittler, he won't be a direct replacement for the recently-departed Greg Alexander, who was the coach's right-hand man.
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"I think a few people will be sharing that (Alexander's responsibilities)," he said.
"I don't think I'm replacing Greg, I don't even know what Greg did. I don't know what the extent of his involvement was, I just know he's very close with Brad and Brad wanted him involved.
"It's not about the commitment, I'm committed to Brad and whatever Brad wants, I don't need to be paid for it. I don't need to have an official position for it.
"If he asks me to do something I'll say, 'Yes', I just need to know what it is he's going to ask me to do. It's certainly not me returning in any great capacity. I don't need a job title.
"What's he (Fittler) going to need advice with? It certainly won't be strategy and game plans and how they run their camp. It was virtually just them saying whatever we'll do, we'll just let you know and you just run your eye over it and see if there's anything we've missed."
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