Warriors axe Brown, Jones interim coach
Nathan Brown has coached his last game for the Warriors, with the NRL club parting ways with the veteran coach.
Former Warriors coach Tony Kemp has warned the club faces an uphill battle to attract a new coach after Nathan Brown became the fifth mentor in 10 years to leave the club.
Brown’s tenure as coach was terminated early on Tuesday morning, following a meeting in the aftermath of the club’s fifth straight loss.
New Zealand great Stacey Jones has been appointed on an interim basis, having only taken up the assistant’s role at the end of last season.
Brown had been contracted at the Warriors until the end of next year, but had already told officials he did not want to move back to New Zealand long-term and could not commit beyond that.
Ultimately though, the club’s poor start to 2022 and Saturday night’s horror outing against Manly meant officials decided to move immediately.
“We fully appreciate his position and the call he has made,” CEO Cameron George said.
“Given those circumstances we agreed we needed to make an immediate change.”
The decision leaves Brown’s career at a crossroads, having previously coached both St George Illawarra and Newcastle in the NRL.
Brown becomes the second coach to go in the NRL this year, after Trent Barrett’s exit from Canterbury last month.
Wests Tigers coach Michael Maguire also remains in the firing line, with the joint-venture’s mid-season probe pushed back a week due to an ill Tim Sheens.
If he is axed by the Tigers, Maguire could potentially loom as an option for the Warriors given he currently has the Kiwis job.
Tonga coach Kristian Woolf would be another genuine contender, while Cameron Ciraldo and Jason Ryles are considered the next coaches in waiting as NRL assistants.
The likes of Shane Flanagan and Paul Green are also hoping to get back into the coaching game.
Whether any of that group would choose to take charge of the Warriors is another story.
The Warriors have now gone through five full-time coaches in the past 10 years, while Todd Payten also spent the best part of a season in charge in an interim role before knocking them back for North Queensland.
They have also endured a bad run ahead of next year’s move back to New Zealand after COVID, with Matt Lodge, Euan Aitken and Kodi Nikorima all exiting the club.
“It looks like we have a structure that people don’t want to be associated with,” former coach Kemp told radio station SEN.
“It comes on the back of a number of things.
“It shows there is a weak underbelly at the club currently and the people who run the club need to sort it out.”
Kemp claimed the club needed change at the top, with owner Mark Robinson taking a backward step.
“If he doesn’t step out of what is going on at the moment, I can’t see a coach of any calibre saying I am going to come and set something up,” Kemp said.
“That’s just not going to work.
“Our average coach gets a couple of years to rebuild it all again, and try and get some success in the club.”
Comments on RugbyPass
It’s going to be Scott Barrett. He’s the coaches mate and captain of a previously elite team. Ardie a great option but scooter has worked with the coach and Ardie still as big a leader as needed.
22 Go to commentsI commend Colin Scotts bio All Balls. He was the first Aussie to make it to NFL. But he was poached and did a full apprenticeship at the University of Hawaii. He was 130kgs surfed played 1st grade cricket etc. big guy by normal but not NFL standards and a top athlete. Even then the nfl were picking up Tongans and Samoans for their natural size and explosive power. They want explosive power not cardio from the big boys so a guy like Taniela Tupou would have been good if picked up young enough. He has fast twitch and they’d bulk the little lad up and give him something to do. soccer teams set up academies and look for Over Sara’s talent eg Messi was at Barcelona since a teenager and harry kewell went to Leeds as a teenager like 16 or something.
11 Go to commentsThe article alludes to the fact that this isn’t about picking a captain. But picking a great captain. So who would make for a great All Black captain - not just an obvious or safe shoo-in? I’m not sure Ardie’s the guy and Barret doesn’t stand out either.
22 Go to commentsI guess we may all agree on the fact, that the ABs and Boks are the two in contest for No 1 in rugby history (the triple-A sort of) …. the Wallabies, England and France are the next tier, with Ireland being the new kid in town (AA) …. in my view it makes little sense creating imaginary competitions (unless you have too much time to waste)
45 Go to commentsWhat a joke. Total joke and the pundits commentating, all of whom know a bit about the game, could barely disguise their contempt. Reaching for the card then pulling back when he realised a red card would carry further match suspensions is simply not his decision to make. A clear and obvious influence on the outcome of this match and indeed, the championship path.
4 Go to commentsI like the idea, in NZ the Ranfurly Shield and NPC coexist, both having their own bragging rights. The World Cup would be the pinnacle, but the competition and travels of these trophies would be interesting.
45 Go to commentsDon’t worry Sonny bill Williams leave that awkward situation about the curfew in the pass whoever it was it doesn’t matter its no big deal we back our All Blacks through the storm and the thunder until we see the Sun light again.
42 Go to commentsWho listens to this retard? He was a massive liability as a player but obviously a media sensation
42 Go to commentsI’m not surprised by such ‘virtue signalling’ by Sonny Boy. Butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth. He’s such a pious Islamic muppet, imo.
42 Go to commentsI’ve actually never heard of the guy (then I don’t watch League as it is boring). But if he is good enough.. then good luck to him. If not, well, he can always return to league.
2 Go to commentsIt is pretty clear that by almost any measure that NZ are a more successful rugby nation than South Africa. Quite aside from the distasteful events during the last RWC final. NZ lead SA in all significant measurements.
45 Go to commentsDickson went to his pocket for a card, saw who it was, changed his mind and spoke at length to TMO. One angle clearly shows Care diving over a Saints player to kill the ball. 1st yellow, reason given for not Red was player was falling backwards. He was only falling backwards after contact with Lawes. Graham try should have stood. Mitchell did not have both hands on the ball, ball went forward from a Saints boot dragging over it. 2 intentional knock-on's. One of which had an overlap on the outside. If Quins are happy to win by intentional foul play, then it does not say much for them. Would appear to be a bad day for Karl Dickson, also for the RFU in appointing a Ref who spent 8 years as a player at one of the clubs.
4 Go to commentsLet’s not forget about Ardie Savea just yet.
7 Go to commentsThe URC and the Euro Championscup can’t run at the same time, basically dilutes both competitions.
2 Go to comments“While Sotutu should start at No.8 for the All Blacks against England, but it’s only in that arena that he can prove just how good he really is.” And that my friends is where simply hasnt shone despite multiple opportunities. Even in this performance you can see what did him in in the test arena..he almost always still runs at the opposition almost ramrod upright making him easier to stop than it should be.
7 Go to commentsShould have been 0-0 and a message from SR CEO to both teams - “don’t worry about turning up next year”.
4 Go to commentsGreat work Owen Franks. A great of this team, scoring his first try for the Crusaders since 2010.He was beaming, justifiably. A fine win, he and the rest did the job up front.
1 Go to commentsDanny Care. Lang in die tand.
1 Go to commentsBig empty stadium does nothing for atmosphere but munster are playing well with solid performance
1 Go to commentsYes, Fiji can win the World Cup! With that belief plus their christian faith🙏 and hard work it is achievable. Great article. Ian Duncan Fiji resident 1981-84
2 Go to comments