A report claims former Penrith coach Anthony Griffin “didn’t rate” Cameron Ciraldo when the latter was Griffin’s assistant coach at the club.
Griffin’s St George Illawarra Dragons will take on Ciraldo’s Canterbury Bulldogs on Sunday afternoon in what will be the first time the two coaches have squared off against one another.
Ciraldo was viewed as a rising star in the coaching ranks at the Panthers and was promoted from his role as the Penrith under-20s coach in Griffin’s second year at the club, but the two did not mesh.
The Sydney Morning Herald report claims Ciraldo tried to quit his role as Griffin’s assistant not once but twice, only to be convinced to stay by ex-Penrith general manager Phil Gould, who is now at the Bulldogs.
The report claims there was also a breakfast in which Griffin opened up to his fellow coaches and asked them how he could improve.
But once his assistants began to offer suggestions, the Herald reports Griffin was more inclined to focus on his breakfast rather than listen to what was being said.
“He (Griffin) didn’t listen to Ciro,” an anonymous Panthers official told the publication.
“He didn’t rate him. Hook was old school but Ciro was this new-age coach.
“Hook was also jealous of the relationship Ciro had with Gus, but also the players in that team.
“Instead of using that to his advantage, he shut Ciro out.”
Ciraldo has since left the club and moved to the Bulldogs to take up his first head coaching role in the NRL.
Since Griffin was sacked by the Panthers in 2018, he moved to the Dragons but seems to be on the chopping block and was reportedly asked to reapply for his job should he wish to stay.
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