I’m really disappointed that my dad didn’t get the opportunity to apply for the Newcastle Knights head coach role.
From what I’ve seen over the last week I’m confident he could do this role, because it looks like the measures of success for the club and its fans are as follows:
1) don’t finish with the wooden spoon
2) win more games than the previous coach (even if it’s just one or two more)
3) make sure you recruit some great players (even if those players are on big money and put you in salary cap drama for future years)
The biggest question I had for Knights fans following the departure of Nathan Brown and after some of their recent performances is when did a town as proud of its rugby league team as Newcastle come to so readily accept and defend mediocrity?
While Brown may have been tolerated for far too long, supporters voted with their feet on the weekend.
Despite it being Old Boys Day, the biggest day on the club’s calendar, just 8274 people showed up. That’s the club’s lowest crowd since July 1997 and the smallest ever for an Old Boys Day.
I’m glad fans have finally said ‘enough’.
But back to Brown – what were his achievements?
Signing David Klemmer and Kalyn Ponga? Sure, two excellent players, but give me a million dollars and I’m sure I could get players across the line too – particularly if for the first three years I am not held accountable for results on the field and therefore have plenty of time to focus on recruitment.
Despite attracting some big names, Newcastle will likely to have to offload some players ahead of next year. Names being bandied about are Shaun Kenny-Dowall and Hymel Hunt.
Thank goodness Paul Gallen didn’t end up in the Hunter for 2018, where apparently he was offered the same money for one season that he had received from the Sharks for two seasons. Imagine the financial issues that would have caused.
Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images
Still on recruitment, when has that been a key measure of success for a coach? Brown is not solely in charge of recruitment. His KPIs are performance-based. Coaches should be judged first on their results and secondly on their ability to get the best out of his players.
For so long, the narrative was that Brown just needed to make the squad his own. Few other coaches get this opportunity (Justin Holbrook has only has two years with the Gold Coast Titans) and even when Brown got the squad he wanted, he couldn’t get the best out of them as a team.
Which players have improved during his tenure? Probably Daniel Saifiti and Danny Levi – the latter of whom the club has been trying to offload effectively for the whole time Brown was there.
Others showed some improvement, but they have stagnated.
In his first few years, Brown also spoke about how young players would benefit from the experience of having tough seasons and how he would help develop them. By that logic, other clubs are receiving the benefit of the experience players such as Nick Meaney, Brock Lamb and Jack Cogger received.
As for suggestions Brown rebuilt culture, the last thing we saw against Wests Tigers was a together unit. The club in fact looks more united now that he has gone.
At least the Knights aren’t finishing with the wooden spoon!
The year before Brown arrived, Newcastle won eight games and finished last. This year, they have won just ten games with a far superior squad.
As boss of the red and blue, Brown won 24 of 94 games – that’s the worst record of any coach in decades.
There was one point where the Knights lost 19 games in a row.
It’s astounding that anyone reaches the conclusion Brown left Newcastle in a better position than when he started.
AAP Image/Darren Pateman
The one thing Brown has proved himself to be exceptional at is controlling the media narrative.
Consider the events that immediately followed the announcement he was resigning.
Heading into one of the biggest games of the year, against the Wests Tigers – who the Knights were competing against for a potential spot in the top eight – rather than focusing on the job at hand, Brown fronted the media on several occasions to talk about… well, himself.
How well he had done at building the club from the ground up. How much of a change he had made. How if another club needed a coach to help them rebuild, he would be the one they would call.
Is it any surprise his players reacted negatively? The effort was abhorrent, but how can a coach expect his players to make performance their number one priority when Brown wasn’t making that game his?
But at least he’s a good bloke.
As a Parramatta fan, I know it’s easy to make excuses and to take any minor improvement as a sign that things are heading in the right direction.
This should be a lesson to everyone involved at the Knights not to accept mediocrity. In the years where Newcaslte took out the wooden spoon, the players looked like they believed it was happening long before the season was over. It’s no surprise this bred a culture of giving up when things get hard.
Compare their second-half performances this year with those of the Canterbury Bulldogs who, despite an inferior squad, have never given up.
The biggest lesson in this whole saga is to demand better, because your club can always be better.
Hopefully ‘demanding better’ started on the weekend.
mushi
Roar Guru
The problem is if you look at the bigger picture Mary, can you guarantee that Brown isn't one of the best 16 coaches because his team didn't make e the top 8? I don't rate Brown, but there seems to be the overriding view of league fans that top coaches are just sitting around on the side of the road. It seems like no one knows what makes a good coach given only bellamy hasn't been called for the sack in the last 10 years.
Joe
Roar Rookie
The world of rugby league coaching, so fickle. During their 6 game wining streak which included the Roosters and Bunnies in consecutive weeks people were tipping them for top four and Brown was in no danger of losing his job. I think the one thing Brown will rue is starting Ponga at 6 and he has said as much himself. The season ended up essentially having a 5 game losing streak followed by a 6 game winning streak ending with a 5 game losing streak. I have no idea what to make of that type of result and Adam O'Brien has his work cut out for him.
Big Daddy
Guest
Quite a few journos have got the knives out for Gardiner . They're firing the bullets but who put them in the gun. Sounds a bit weird both knives and guns. Maybe a few ex player's and old boys board members.
Emcie
Roar Guru
Not arguing with that, but I don't think you can ever underestimate the decision making abilities of rugby league clubs
Gray-Hand
Roar Rookie
Yeah, but Hasler had actually proven himself capable of winning grand finals, and getting the teams he coached to consistently play their best football. If you hire Hasler, then sure you will inevitably end up with a salary cap disaster that will haunt the club for a decade, but at least you have a decent chance of winning a premiership in the meantime. Considering the three ring schit show that most NRL clubs operate as, that’s probably a reasonable trade off. Brown has a dismal coaching record in the NRL, his teams don’t play to their potential and he has probably still left the Knights with long term salary cap issues.
Emcie
Roar Guru
People said the same thing about Hasler
Big Moose
Guest
I agree and unfortunately Macquarie Sports Radio is still promoting this narrative that it was all Bennett’s fault and Newcastle are much better from having Brown. Even when it was pointed out that under Bennett Newcastle lost the preliminary final to the eventual premiers (Roosters) in 2013 after beating both Canterbury and the Storm in the semi finals to get there. In 2014 you had the whole Alex Mackinnon tragedy and then Tinkler went broke. Given on what we have seen Brown has only been a success at sandbagging his own performance. - he certainly hasn’t assisted the team,
DP Schaefer
Roar Rookie
clever..
Bunney
Roar Rookie
Bravo Mary! Someone has finally called Brown out for the faker he is. He can buy players, but what about developing them?? Evidence says no.
Noosa Duck
Roar Rookie
Yes but he is still just a kid. However I think you will find that a lot of things happened behind peoples backs and that has deflated many associated with the club. Gardner the CEO is the CEO by default because of his position at Newcastle Wests Club...not because he is any good at running a football club and if the Browne saga is any indication he has NFI about running a football club...When 2 very high profile and highly respected people resign from the clubs advisory committee as both John Quail & Danny Buderis did yesterday somebody has stuffed up pretty badly and I can assure you it wasn't Nathan Brown
Gray-Hand
Roar Rookie
Brown will never coach in the NRL ever again.
William Dalton Davis
Roar Rookie
He’s put himself in a very good position. Either the next coach comes in and fails “undoing all Brown’s good work” or succeeds “benefitting from Brown’s foundations.”
William Dalton Davis
Roar Rookie
I think Brown got an advance on a few of those years. Closer to 5 I’d reckon.
concerned supporter
Roar Rookie
K.Ponga's $$$ value depreciated when he made thay dill comment about the milkshake. Not endeared to the Newcastle loyal supporters. Bet his manager & parents gave him hell. I thought he was smart.
Max
Roar Rookie
Finally an article not focusing on "what a nice guy Nathan is", don't get me wrong he may well be, but i follow the knights and get nothing but disappointment. They should be in the final 8 this year, no ifs or buts and someone has to be accountable. There are only about 4-5 current coaches who are capable of winning a premiership and none of them ever played for St George. (NB, TB and PMcG). Newcastle need a hard coach, only because apart from Gardiner, the board is stacked with ex-leaguies who are like herding cats and as loyal as a Tommy.
Dave
Guest
100%. Most Knights fans are being naive and don't want to admit the truth; Brown can't coach. His comments about rebuilding a team and not being able to stick around to reap the rewards are simply a cover for failure and he copped out early taking the easy road. If he rebuilt the team then why did he lose their respect? Taking shots at Bennett to deflect from his inadequacies as a coach are his only way to avoid the harsh glare of reality as you said Mary, a million dollars buys players but coaches like bennett can keep a player for less because they respect him. He mighthave gotten rid of the party atmosphere and bad boys but a good coach can manage it AND get the best out of the bad boys.
matth
Roar Guru
Don’t worry, by my estimate the Knights still have 8 years left on their ‘blame Bennett’ get out of jail free card before anyone has to be accountable for anything.
Noosa Duck
Roar Rookie
The Board & the CEO have the cheque book, coaches and the recruitment people make recommendations. The Knights have a recruitment manager and neither you or I know how much input Brown had in the signing of those players mentioned above.SO it's guess work. The Coach is not responsible for the salary cap. Pearce was already on good money at the Roosters but it was not overs the same applied to both SKD & Gueara. As for Klemmer well, it's only my opinion but they well and truly paid overs for him.
Emcie
Roar Guru
"Rebuild" is the most over used word in league coverage. Brown hasn't rebuilt anything, what he's done is sacrificed onfield results for a couple years to clear the books (which is definately not allowed in most sports) to create a window of opportunity. He's either legitimately tried to turn things around using local juniors and it wasn't working or he was always banking on having an open cheque book in a couple season, either one is plausible though not too many clubs would end up millions under the cap if they were legitimately trying to be competitive, even if focusing on juniors. Either way the end result is a squad featuring a couple quality players on big money, a fair amount of average players on overs and not much room left for juniors. That's not a long term fix and could really hurt the Knights long term if not managed properly. Then you've got Brown himself. He's certainly cultivated a nice guy image for himself (while taking potshots at other coaches) and been on the front foot when it comes to shaping the narative around the Knights. While that doesn't mean he's not actually a nice guy, im not sure a public persona is what a coach should be judged on. But he's still been getting a lot of support from the media in general (and there's whispers going around that he's been lobbying for a media gig). Even now the Knights are getting slammed for punting him when the guy put his two weeks notice in and then decided to walk away a week later, I'm not sure that kind of support has been reserved for too many league personalities. It seems the last four years has done more for Browns brand then it has for the Knights themselves.
Forty Twenty
Roar Rookie
The Knights started the year with a pretty decent roster but needed Ramien to be duplicating his Sharks form. It looks to me that the main problem with their roster is that they haven't landed and/or developed the surprise packet type recruits which are probably essential to succeed. The players nobody has heard of but rival fans are wishing their club had of hooked on to. Without decent local juniors coming thru you need some gems to emerge from no name recruits to strike a blow at the top 4. The Knights needed to fight harder in games this season to be able to endorse Brown's future. The next coach in is clearly in a decent position though to do well with some canny recruitment.