Phil Gould has added another layer of tension to Maroons vs Blues ahead of the Origin decider after calling Harry Grant a “cheat” in a conversation with Cameron Smith on 100% Footy. The comments have put extra focus on Queensland’s hooker, but they have also brought a sharp public response from the Melbourne Storm.
Grant was already under the microscope after being seen speaking to referee Ashley Klein in Game 2 at the MCG. Nathan Cleary had previously accused him of playing for a penalty in Melbourne’s golden point win, so Gould’s latest remarks have only pushed an already charged debate into the spotlight again.
Gould’s point was about pressure, not just the label
Gould’s view was blunt. “Let’s call it for what it is - Harry is a cheat,” he said, before going on to argue that when a player questions a referee, the real issue is what happens next. “When you do that to a referee, and you’re talking to a referee, and questioning a decision, you never think he’s going to reverse a decision,” Gould said. “It’s about what he does with the next one.”
Smith replied that players and teams need to “keep the referees honest” and suggested Grant should “think twice about the next one”. Gould agreed, saying, “One hundred per cent. Anyway, Harry is a cheat.”
The key point is that this was not just a throwaway line. It was a deliberate attempt to put pressure on a Queensland player before the biggest match of the series. Matt Tripp said Gould had done the same thing this time last year when he called Grant Queensland’s best player, describing it as an effort to unsettle him. This time, Tripp said, the aim was the same, only the language was stronger.
Storm push back, but do not want a public apology
The Melbourne Storm did not hide their view of the claim, but they also made clear they would not chase a public apology from Gould. Tripp said: “This is what we’ve come to expect from ‘Gus’ – we couldn’t care less what he’s got to say.” He added that Gould was trying to get under Grant’s skin, but insisted, “It’s water off a duck’s back for Harry.”
Tripp also defended his player’s character, saying, “It’s a really strange thing to say about a player who is one of the fairest in the game.” That matters because the reaction is no longer just about one comment on television. It has become part of the wider pre-decider narrative around how Queensland’s key players are viewed, and how much pressure can be applied in public before kickoff.
Smith also offered a historical perspective during the discussion, saying this sort of influence on referees has been happening since 1908. That does not remove the controversy, but it does show why the debate has become so familiar in elite rugby league. With Game 2 already in the books and the Origin decider next, the focus now shifts back to how Grant responds on the field.
