The Penrith Panthers have sent shock waves through rugby league by sacking coach Ivan Cleary with a year to run on his contract.

“Ivan Cleary has done a tremendous job in his four years at the Panthers,” Gould said in a statement.

“He has laid the foundation for the future and we are enormously grateful for his contribution to the club.

“We wish Ivan, his wife Rebecca and his family all the very best for the future.”

It is understood Gould is a fan of former Brisbane coach Anthony Griffin who will take the role in an announcement to be made in the coming days.

Gould has told Fairfax that he saw the writing on the wall for Cleary earlier in the season and the decision to terminate one of the NRL’s best young coaches was a difficult one.

“I had concern for Ivan midway through the year,” Gould began.

“I felt he was looking tired and I had the conversation with him, and also his wife. He came back a week later and he said he was going to battle on. I just haven’t felt things were going to be any different or better.”

“The biggest factor for me was that Ivan is off contract at the end of 2016.

“At this stage, I couldn’t see myself extending that contract. I just thought I was setting Ivan and the club up for a difficult year if he coached again. We had speculation of what his future might be if it didn’t go his way. It was best to make the change now. I had to make it.

“It was the right decision for Ivan, and for the club. The pressure our club was put under this year with the number of injuries also shone a light on some other aspects of our people and our club. Quite often, these things are exposed under pressure.”

Gould also told The Daily Telegraph that he didn’t want his club to be embroiled in rumours and innuendo of things went south in 2016.

“I’ve just finished a review and felt we need to make a change,” the GM said.

“There’s no hiding from the fact that he was terminated.

“His contract was up next year anyway and I didn’t want to go through all the business next year of will he or won’t he stay.

“It was in our best interests to do it now.”

It’s a tough pill to swallow for Cleary who has done an exceptional job at a club that has been decimated for two consecutive years by injury and despite the injuries still steered the Panthers to the preliminary final in 2013.

Even tougher to swallow is being sacked for a hypothetical situation that is yet to occur.

Between the lines is Gould really saying he didn’t believe Cleary had the ability to coach a fully fit squad back to the finals?

A foxsports.com.au poll asked fans if they thought sacking Cleary was the right move with 89% of votes suggesting they have got it wrong.

@woodward_curtis