Aug 6th, 2018

Aug 6th, 2018

Former Panthers star Jamie Soward says Anthony Griffin's "boring" and ineffective game plan is ultimately what got him sacked, with the 2010 premiership player claiming Penrith's players had started to revolt against their coach's tactics.

Speaking to NRL.com Soward, who left the club in 2016 after his own relationship with Griffin broke down, said the Panthers' comeback victories against Manly and the Raiders in the last two weeks had been a result of the players abandoning Griffin's game plan after falling behind.

It's an astonishing claim that would explain why the Panthers felt they could not wait until the end of the season to change their coach, with Griffin leaving the club while it sits fifth on the ladder and prepares to embark on a finals campaign.

"At some stages throughout this year they've played with some of the most boring game plans in the first half that I've seen from any side and only started playing their normal style or the style they're comfortable with once they're behind," Soward said.

Griffin sacked by Panthers

"People will say 'it's working for them', thay've had six double digit comebacks this year, five of those have been against bottom eight sides, so for me his game planning and lack of player management, player feel is what's gone against him."

Soward said Griffin had also suffered from his headmaster style of player management, claiming Panthers players felt training was "like going to school", with the day to day grind wearing them down.

"(He's not) one of those guys who can separate footy from off the field stuff and vice versa," Soward said.

"It was all about footy 24/7 and it became more like going to school rather than bouncing into training and getting performances out of them.

(AAP)

"That's how Penrith have played this year."

Griffin's immediate departure has given assistant coach Cameron Ciraldo the massive task of stepping into the head coaching role for the rest of the season but Soward said he was confident the change would be positive.

Contrasting Griffin's style with Ciraldo's, Soward said the players would get a more understanding mentor for the rest of the season.

"Cameron Ciraldo's the perfect man for the job," Soward said

" ... I know the players respect him and love having him out there, he's been part of the club for a long time now and he's mature enough to be able to separate that role and also young enough to understand that things are going on away from the footy.

"A lot of those young players have young families and I think that's what went against Anthony, he wanted them to be 24/7 footy and it became boring for them and it became repetitive and that's what counted against him."