Phil Gould’s days at Penrith are over. The club is in the process of finalising a settlement deal in the next week, however Gould has been told his services are no longer required after the club’s board meeting on Wednesday.
Gould admitted to club powerbrokers on Tuesday that his role at the club under coach Ivan Cleary's regime had become redundant, with Cleary facing the board on Wednesday to discuss Gould’s future.
Cleary also told the board he believed Gould’s role was redundant.
"All the work, according to Phil, has been done," Fletcher said on Wednesday afternoon following the club’s board meeting.
"There's no need to fill that position any further. The board is very thankful knowing the position now, in his opinion, is redundant he didn't want to stay on in the position for the next three-and-a-half years. Ivan was of the opinion the job has been done. It will be a pretty seamless transition."
The Panthers will meet Gould’s management next week to finalise a pay-out.
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NRL.com understands Gould won’t receive the remainder of his three and a half years given some of the clauses that were written into his five-year extension.
"I would hope that would be done sooner [rather] than later," Fletcher said.
"I’m very confident we'll come to a confidentiality settlement that will be agreeable to both parties and both parties will move on. We probably wouldn't be standing here today if it wasn't for Phil Gould.
"Gus was giving signs, probably in the last month, his job might be completed. He was having another look and another review and all of a sudden over the weekend, he said 'I think my time is done and I can move on'.
"Gus is highly paid too and we don't need to be paying somebody money if that position is not there.
"I think there's plenty that would like to have him. I think he said [on Tuesday] there's been four or five clubs over the time that have approached him and would like him to be there. He'd do a marvellous job.
"But I don't think Gus would go into clubland again. I don't think he would go into it under the same terms as here, trying to develop a club or build it up from the ground again. It's too hard work. Gus is 60 years of age, how long can you keep doing that for?"