Craig Fitzgibbon rules himself out as Nathan Brown’s replacement at Newcastle Knights

Newcastle have suffered a blow in their search for a new coach with one of the leading contenders ruling himself out of succeeding Nathan Brown. VOTE IN OUR POLL

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CRAIG Fitzgibbon won’t be the next Newcastle coach with the early frontrunner ruling himself out of replacing Nathan Brown at the Knights.

Fizgibbon was on top of Newcastle’s wish list but the Roosters assistant coach has distanced himself from joining the Knights having recently inked a contract extension with the Roosters. Fitzgibbon has close ties with Newcastle captain Mitchell Pearce given their team together at the Roosters as well as other ex-Roosters Shaun Kenny-Dowall, Connor Watson and Aidan Guerra.

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Craig Fitzgibbon will remain as a Roosters assistant coach. Picture: Gregg Porteous

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His fellow assistant at the Roosters Adam O’Brien and Craig Bellamy’s right hand man Jason Ryles are considered the frontrunners after Brown’s shock decision to leave Newcastle at season’s end.

Fitzgibbon has long been earmarked as a first grade coach in waiting. He had a decorated playing career at the Roosters and St George Illawarra before transitioning to a coaching role at the Roosters. He has led the Roosters defence in recent years and was part of NSW’s State of Origin preparations this year.

Knights chief executive Phil Gardner said the club had already reached out to potential replacements for Brown after the current Knights coach stepped down on Monday.

“We’re extremely lucky that Nathan came to me and said ‘you need time’,” Gardner said this morning.

“That’s why we’re doing it now. It gives us time to really test the market, see who’s out there and get our systems right.”

Originally published as Craig Fitzgibbon rules himself out as Nathan Brown’s replacement at Newcastle Knights