Nathan Brown

I am not happy or sad that he is leaving but like many others concerned with who we might get and if new guy goes with what we have and continues to build.
Brownie has done a great job to get us competitive for top 8 spot but along the way made some mistakes that might have cost us a win or two directly and indirectly that would have made our run easier. We had two bad losing runs but the period around SOO until last week indicated that all was not well and things could have been handled better, easy of course in hindsight.
Wish him well and hope the boys really put in for him over the next few rounds and hopefully beyond.
 
If Woolfe gets the gig with St Helens, who do people think we should go after as a head coach/assistant coach combination? I'd love to see O'Brien as head coach and Ryles as assistant coach. Unlikely, I know, but we'd have coaches from three strong systems in Storm (Ryles), Sharks (Shepherd) and Roosters (O'Brien).
 
So Garth Brennan.
I was talking to someone the other day who pointed out that 50 or 60 guys playing NRL at the moment got a lot of coaching from Brennan at Newcastle, Penrith or the Titans.
He has been remarkably good at getting the most out of young guys - with 3 premierships and about 6 grandfinals in lower grades.
He didn't do great at the Titans, but who could? He did his best, but that trainwreck was heading for a cliff long before someone shoved the wheel into his hands.
He lives in Newcastle.
He played for Newcastle Wests and started his coaching career as captain/coach of Wests reserve grade in 2001, before coaching Knights under 18s and 20s very successfully.
In short, he is great developing young players, can win titles if he gets a decent squad, and can walk into the Knights job at a moments notice - literally walk from his house at Stockton.
 
No way the rebuild was finished as we definitely do not have a Top 4 squad.

It's not that far off. Pearce & Ponga at their best is as good a combo as most. Klem, Glas & Saifiti upfront. And a good handful of decent players who would contribute to any team. The biggest fault is the disruption in the spine. Brown couldn't settle on a hooker or five-eighth, partially due to bad luck & partially due to not getting the right player or not getting the best out of them. Hopefully Brailey & Lino/Crossland can fix that in the pre-season. Also would be nice to find a new strike back after Ramien & utilise them well.
 
It's not that far off. Pearce & Ponga at their best is as good a combo as most. Klem, Glas & Saifiti upfront. And a good handful of decent players who would contribute to any team. The biggest fault is the disruption in the spine. Brown couldn't settle on a hooker or five-eighth, partially due to bad luck & partially due to not getting the right player or not getting the best out of them. Hopefully Brailey & Lino/Crossland can fix that in the pre-season. Also would be nice to find a new strike back after Ramien & utilise them well.

Three years ago people here were saying we had no forward pack and were crying out for a #1 'lead the way enforcer' type of prop, no halfback/chief playmaker and there was no certainty of the roster at all.

Since then we've gotten Klemmer and Pearce to fill two positions that have been missing for seemingly since forever. Thankfully they're two of our best/marquee and highest paid players and have justified that pay since coming here.

The club has tried to fill that 'strike' #1 centre role with Gagai and Ramien but they aren't here for different reasons. Maybe Hunt can be that guy? Solid on both ends, can pass the ball, can defend and break the line...

Brown's swipe about 'selfish coaches' is pretty on the mark. Having a four year plan where a player only wants to be there because of the coach, and having no succession plan for a hooker and letting it be 'someone elses problem' is a terrible way of thinking to build a roster. Part of it is obviously Brown not settling on a hooker now but it can be traced back to before Brown.

Could be definately worse with the way the roster was. So can't complain too much considering signing marquee player(s) as a plural hasn't really ever been a thing.
 
It's not that far off. Pearce & Ponga at their best is as good a combo as most. Klem, Glas & Saifiti upfront. And a good handful of decent players who would contribute to any team. The biggest fault is the disruption in the spine. Brown couldn't settle on a hooker or five-eighth, partially due to bad luck & partially due to not getting the right player or not getting the best out of them. Hopefully Brailey & Lino/Crossland can fix that in the pre-season. Also would be nice to find a new strike back after Ramien & utilise them well.

I agree. A decent hooker and 5/8 are the last missing pieces.

But I think the rebuild would be finished when players would be willing to come here for unders. But that would still be years away and probably not possible with Brown.


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He hammered Wayne in his presser I thought lol

It was funny hearing Wayne trying to convince the media and everyone he wanted the Titans job, as if he was going to coach a basketcase of a team and a roster, lol.
 
Paul Kent talking on 360 like Adam Obrien is pretty close to a done deal. He also mentioned he might have someone like Tim Sheens come with him as a mentor/assistant.
 
Heard from a mate today that Des Hasler although contracted until 2021 is after a upgrade with Manly or he will walk.
He signed for peanuts after all the bad press around his departure from the Dogs and the mess Manly seemed to be in.

If Gardner is willing to throw the bank at a coach?? I'd be meeting up with Des ASAP.

I still think Browny should of been given till mid next year.
 
Definite no to Des.

We’ve already had the high profile coach who’s solely interested in short term success. Didn’t end particularly well iirc.

Des is nothing of that :shrug:

Imo Des is the closest to Bellamy we will find.
Builds a club from 16s up and wants a team that is all for each other.

Heck his been a NRL coach for 400+ games and only coached 2 sides.
Manly 9yrs
Dogs 7yrs
Add that his won GFs, taken both clubs to GFs, and never missed a finals series as a coach.

What a dud option.
 
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Paul Kent talking on 360 like Adam Obrien is pretty close to a done deal. He also mentioned he might have someone like Tim Sheens come with him as a mentor/assistant.

*Yawn* Wouldn't take what Kent says as gospel when it comes to the Knights, the amount of times he's been wrong about things is embarrasing.

Just like how he starts a whisper campaign trying his best tonight to get Browny to turn on Phil and knights but it was never gonna happen. it was a mutual decision and he moves on, so why cant Kent
 
I still think Browny should of been given till mid next year.

The problem is it's not really just an extra half a year, if the start of next year didn't work out, the whole year is a wash. The chances of getting a coach mid season is a lot harder so we end up with an interim coach for the remainder of the year.

Another year is down the drain and closer to the end of the Pearce, Ponga and Klemmer contracts who may not want to resign with poor results and instability around the club.
 
I would not be opposed to Jason Ryles as a head coach here, the bloke seems to command a fair bit of respect from the Storm higher ups and Bellamy but I do not know whether he would continue to learn under Bellamy.

Get the feeling the team may take a punt on a rookie first timer coach as it feels like the first time in a long time there aren't many semi experienced coaches that scream to pick themselves as the coach.
Can't see Cartwright, Potter, Henry, Toovey being 'must interview' canditates although Brown spoke highly of Potter when he was here. Can't see him getting a gig but based off what people have said about Farah's personality I can't help but think he got hard done by there.

Though while I am some what of a fan of Henry coaching wise I'm not sure management wise he can handle things, he may have been good to replace Rick Stone when he was fired but I can't see the Ponga camp being thrilled with his hiring.

Griffin is may be a rung above those guys success wise but he's not a guy that screams long term or a Home Run signing.

Demetriou seems to be content with waiting around for Bennett to hand him down a head coaching job whether that be at Souths or somewhere else.

Will be interesting to see if any other coach left field wise throws their name into the hat.

I'm just glad it's not going to be Walters or Flanagan with that said.
 
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