Phil Gould loves Dogs No.1 Connor Tracey. He’ll see another fullback he wanted on Friday

Phil Gould sat on the panel on 100% Footy last week and said of fullback Connor Tracey, “I always saw him as a Dylan Edwards-type player. I really thought he would change our lives if we got him to the Bulldogs, and he played fullback. He’s certainly done that.”

Just nine months ago, the Bulldogs boss was chasing Ryan Papenhuyzen in the hope he could become the club’s No.1.

Gould met with Papenhuyzen twice – once in Sydney, then on a hit-and-run trip to Melbourne – late last year, only for Papenhuyzen to re-commit to the Storm for a further 12 months.

Friday night will be the first time Papenhuyzen plays against the Dogs after he passed on Gould’s Belmore sales pitch.

The 27-year-old has since been linked to rebel rugby competition R360, where he could command up to $1.5m a year, but was certainly complimentary of Gould when talking for the first time about the plan to lure him home to Sydney.

“The thing I liked about Gus is he gets you to think about things differently,” Papenhuyzen said.

“I really respected that. I also respected how calm he was when I came up with my decision, and how he understood the reasons why.

“He made me feel like I could contribute to their squad and environment, and [his interest] gave me reassurance I was doing the right thing, and learning the right things, and been through a journey that held me in good stead.

“He told me he saw a lot in me.

“When we caught up, we spoke about cricket for ages, spoke a lot about golf, including technical things about golf swings, as well as team environments. I came up to Sydney the first time, and just before I made my decision to stay, he flew to Melbourne.”

Papenhuyzen said in the same interview with this masthead earlier this year that he had “unfinished business” and “it didn’t feel right” to leave the Storm, especially after they lost last year’s grand final. That point was pressed home to Gould.

When recently asked about Rugby 360’s interest in Papenhuyzen, Gould said on his Six Tackles With Gus podcast: “Ryan Papenhuyzen strikes me as someone who is extremely loyal to the Melbourne Storm.”

The Storm recently extended the contract of Jahrome Hughes, but have Papenhuyzen and skipper Harry Grant both off contract at the end of next year. Xavier Coates, arguably the NRL’s in-form winger, is also without a deal.

Storm chairman Matt Tripp is good friends with Papenhuyzen, and said on the weekend: “We’ve had discussions, and we’d love Ryan to play out his career with us.”

Papenhuyzen missed last week’s golden-point win over Penrith because of concussion symptoms but is tipped to be named for the AAMI Park blockbuster, with victory all but sealing a top-two finish – and an all-important week-one qualifying final at home.

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