How Newcastle rewrote history that ultimately allowed Nathan Brown to hit Wayne Bennett below the belt

WOULD NRL boss Todd Greenberg have been more defensive if Nathan Brown’s below-the-belt attack on Wayne Bennett was directed at a match official or a female staff member?

NATHAN Brown should be ashamed of his below-the-belt public attack on Wayne Bennett _ and Todd Greenberg should be equally embarrassed for allowing it to escape sanction.

Would Greenberg have been more defensive if Brown’s comment was directed at a match official or a female staff member?

A few years back Ricky Stuart copped a $10,000 fine for using the word “shit”, even though Stuart apologised the split second he made the comment.

FEUD: Bennett furious at Brown’s backstab

CLEARED: NRL won’t punish Brown over comments

BUZZ: Pressure mounting on Bennett

Nathan Brown’s comments were in poor taste. (Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)

Brown had a chance to apologise on Sunday when interviewed by Triple M yet said nothing.

Perhaps commentators now cheering Brown would also react differently if it was their families again forced to go through the public anguish of a marriage breakdown.

Many now laughing at Brown’s swipe might want to slap the Newcastle coach a touch harder than Brown did Trent Barrett all those years ago.

Last week Bennett was asked by journalists about the job Brown has done at Newcastle and all Bennett said was that Brown “unbuilt” the Knights.

Bennett oversaw a tumultuous time for Newcastle. (Peter Lorimer)

Even though Brown was entitled to see it as a slur, which I’m not sure it was, Brown’s response was way out of line when saying if Bennett “thought with his big head, rather than his little head (meaning penis), I wouldn’t have had to rebuild the joint”.

It was a direct reference to Bennett’s relationship with new partner Dale Cage, who he met during his time at Newcastle.

By his own admission Bennett was not satisfied with his time at Newcastle.

But let’s remember that in 2013 the Knights finished a game short of the grand final before the following season was torn apart by the shocking circumstances surrounding Alex McKinnon’s injury.

There was much to be proud of during Bennett’s tenure. (Phil Hillyard)

On top of that, Nathan Tinkler consistently failed to make payments to players and staff on time. The team was never going to flourish in those conditions.

But they still beat the Sydney Roosters and Melbourne late in the season (ultimately finishing 12th), while the under 20s were minor premiers and NSW Cup made the finals.

Brown maintains Bennett left the club in disarray, and critics say their junior system was a mess.

My brother Mick coached Newcastle’s under 20s during Bennett’s reign from which 23 players have gone on to play NRL since.

That would be more than any NRL club, with Penrith perhaps the exception.

Critics also conveniently forget it was Rick Stone in charge before Brown, not Bennett.

Stone has been somehow written out of history.

Rick Stone’s role has been overlooked by some. (Peter Lorimer)

Bennett had no say in Stone’s appointment, that was driven from within the new administration to the point where outside candidates where not even interviewed.

Stone even said when he took charge in August, 2014, that “we have some exciting times ahead with some great young juniors coming through”.

Stone went on to win his first four games in 2015 before it fell apart and Stone was sacked mid-season.

But not before taking responsibility for many deals now blamed on Bennett.

Brown struck out after Bennett’s comments. (Peter Lorimer)

The club offered a ridiculous upgrade to Chris Houston for instance, and huge money to the Mata’utia brothers to block Canterbury’s interest.

Stone also signed Trent Hodkinson who Brown didn’t want, while releasing Beau Scott and Joey Leilua.

Brown also released Tariq Sims and refused to pay the money to keep Joey Tapine, now among the game’s best backrowers.

I wonder how much Brown saved letting Tapine and Sims go and bringing in Aidan Guerra?

At what point does Newcastle accept responsibility for the failure that followed Bennett?

It wasn’t Bennett’s fault the club couldn’t sign Matt Scott, James Graham, Jack Bird and even Matt Lodge last year, even though they could outbid all competitors.

It’s great to see the Knights improving this year but it is equally sad to see the public humiliation campaign targeting a 68-year-old coaching legend.

Bennett might not be everyone’s cup of tea but he deserves more respect than he is currently getting.

Craig Bellamy was rightly applauded last week for reaching 400 NRL games.

Bennett has coached 793 games, including seven premierships and no wooden spoons.

LIVE stream the 2018 NRL Telstra Premiership on FOX SPORTS. Every game of every round LIVE in HD, with no ad breaks during play! Get your free two-week trial now.

Originally published as How Newcastle rewrote history that ultimately allowed Nathan Brown to hit Wayne Bennett below the belt