Nathan Brown, Gus Gould set to join New Zealand Warriors
It’s the signing the no-one saw coming with New Zealand Warriors set to bank on a heavyweight coaching ‘combo’ to pull them out of the NRL doldrums. DETAILS INSIDE
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The New Zealand Warriors are set to put their faith in a Nathan Brown/Phil Gould combination to pull them out of the doldrums.
The Warriors have pursued Brown in recent days and talks heated up on Thursday afternoon.
He is set to be appointed coach within days and Gould is expected to oversee the club’s junior development.
Brown was originally lukewarm about the job but has been convinced to lead the Warriors after Todd Payten rejected the role earlier this week. The deal is expected to be three years.
“Six weeks ago it wasn’t the right opportunity,” Brown said on Triple M on Thursday night.
“The timing wasn’t right with certain things going on in my life.”
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Brown is close with Warriors recruitment officer Peter O’Sullivan. Their relationship dates back to Brown’s playing days at the Dragons.
The former Dragons and Knights coach was on the shortlist for the Cowboys position and has worked with the Warriors this year as a consultant.
“I am a career coach, I love coaching,” Brown said.
“The Warriors coach is a good opportunity, as is the Cowboys. I work for them as a consultant. I do talk to them. Peter O’Sullivan is a good friend of mine and we talk on an ongoing basis. I can’t speculate on speculation. I’ve had limited dealings with a number of people at the Warriors.”
The club gave serious consideration to appointing a coach for 12 months and pursuing Roosters assistant Craig Fitzgibbon.
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Ben Ikin questioned the fit of Brown at the Warriors.
“The last conversation I had with Nathan Brown was that he felt he didn’t want to go to another club where there was going to be a rebuild. And he’s going to the Warriors,” Ikin said on Fox League.
“And in terms of being well down the track in the interview process, it was only last Thursday that Todd Payten knocked back the job, so they’ve moved very quick.”
It comes as the club sorts through a raft of contingency plans for next season, which could include being based out of Redcliffe because there are fears the club won’t be able to play out of Auckland again next year.
Redcliffe and not the Central Coast is expected to be the temporary home if border restrictions remain. The club announced a feeder arrangement with Redcliffe Dolphins in June.
Skipper Roger Tuivasa-Sheck said next year wasn’t even on his radar yet.
“I haven’t looked too far past this week,” Tuivasa-Sheck said. “All I’m doing is daily calls back home.”
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SCHOOLBOY SUPERSTARS
It is hardly a red-carpet set-up but the streaming of the schoolboys rugby league competition attracted record numbers this week.
Jolly sat in the back of the seating at the Tamworth school.
There were no referee microphones and no co-commentators — just Jolly and a cameraman.
“I’m sure the players were able to hear me (call the game),” Jolly said.
REPLAY: Pats outmuscle Doms in Schoolboy Cup
“There was no commentary box or anything like that. Just a microphone out of the camera and do your best.
“It was a good experience and as raw as it gets.
“What a way to end the game.”
St Edward’s snatched victory with a near full-length intercept try.
The action continues next Wednesday when four games will be exclusively streamed to Daily Telegraph subscribers.
IKIN IN BOX SEAT
Ben Ikin is firming for the Broncos’ chief executive post with another strong candidate, Brisbane Lions boss Greg Swann, set to remain in the AFL.
Swann had been identified by the Broncos as a possible successor to Paul White, who will depart Red Hill in the coming months after a decade of service.
The Broncos officially advertised for the CEO’s position on Wednesday, with a recruitment agency engaged to sift through what is expected to be hundreds of applicants for one of the best jobs in Australian sport.
Key stakeholders at the Broncos were keen for the club to ramp-up plans to headhunt Swann, but it is understood the respected administrator is close to signing a two-year extension with the Lions.
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Api Koroisau surprised even the Panthers’ medical staff with how quickly he recovered from an elbow injury to play for Penrith last week. Koroisau only missed one match despite fears he could be out for a month.
“The pain wasn’t as high as everyone was expecting,” Koroisau said. “Everyone was expecting it was going to be a few weeks.”
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Ex-Kangaroos centre Will Chambers emerged on the radar of a few NRL clubs in recent weeks as a possible immediate signing. Clubs are looking at him as an option for next season with his stint in Japanese rugby looking uncertain.
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Relax Sydney Swans fans, Lance Franklin isn’t defecting to rugby league any time soon.
Franklin was at Broncos training in the lead-up to Friday night’s Brisbane-Souths clash at ANZ Stadium.
The Swans star observed strict COVID protocols by watching from behind security fences. He is in Brisbane as part of the AFL’s COVID-enforced relocation to Queensland.
The Swans are still no closer to deciding on his return date as he prepares to fly to Perth with his teammates on Friday. Franklin has been out with a serious hamstring injury for 10 weeks and received treatment at the Qscan medical imaging and radiology centre next to the Broncos’ facility.
AFL players are allowed to access medical treatment while in hubs.
Sydney are staying at a Brisbane hotel and are allowed to take walks outside to get fresh air.
BAZ BIRD WATCHING
Incoming Canterbury coach Trent Barrett is already eyeing off some new recruits for the Bulldogs.
Barrett is a fan of injured Broncos utility Jack Bird, and we also hear Gold Coast strength-and-conditioning coach Dan Ferris is on his radar.
Ferris worked with Barrett at Manly and the pair could be reunited at Belmore next season.
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TRUE-BLUE EFFORT
Adam Elliott stood firm on his promise of dying his hair blue after raising more than $7000 for the Autism Community Network. The injured Canterbury lock promised to change his hairstyle if he raised more than $1000. He easily beat that figure which prompted brother James and their dad Graeme to also dye their hair.
DOUEIHI GETS REPRIEVE
Adam Doueihi may have been the biggest winner from Harry Grant’s untimely injury.
Doueihi was fighting to keep his spot in the Tigers’ side and could have made way for Moses Mbye at fullback. Instead, Grant’s absence has given Doueihi a chance to impress against the Knights on Saturday with Mbye moving to hooker. Grant is expected to miss a month which could allow Jacob Liddle to make his long-awaited return from injury.
DOUBLE TAKE FOR GREEN
Blake Green playing the same team in consecutive weeks isn’t as rare as you might think. Green will play the Tigers in back-to-back games on Saturday after making the switch from the Warriors to Newcastle.
Poasa Faamausili did it earlier this year for the Warriors and the Roosters, against Melbourne with consecutive losses, while Moses Mbye’s mid-season switch from the Bulldogs to the Tigers in 2018 also resulted in two defeats to the Titans.
FRIDAY FLASHBACK
Todd Carney explains how he could have been a Dragon on this day 10 years ago after sitting down with St George Illawarra coach Wayne Bennett. Carney opted for the Roosters after the Dragons were unable to register his contract with feeder club Shellharbour in 2009. Carney went on to win the Dally M that year but his Roosters lost to the Dragons in the grand final.
BLAST FROM THE PAST
BEN SMITH
152 top-grade games for Parramatta between 2004-14
Ben Smith isn’t sure how he came to be on Parramatta’s radar. What he does remember is the key role played by former Eels utility Daniel Wagon.
Wagon played with Smith’s older brother Brad at the Dragons, where Brad was coached by Brian Smith.
“I had the opportunity to go to St George or the Eels when I was in Year 12,” Smith said. “I hadn’t played much rep footy growing up but I played in the under-18 country championships.
“I’m not sure if Daniel said something to Parramatta before or after the championships but it was a culmination of both. My brother also said if I wanted to learn to be a better footballer, go play under Brian.”
A year later, Smith made a whirlwind debut for the Eels against Melbourne as a 19-year-old. He was asked to train with the NRL side on the Wednesday before being told he would play the following day.
“We flew down on the Friday,” Smith said. “I only had a couple of sleeps to stress about it. I remember walking into the dressing room and seeing my jersey with the NRL logo on it. It was surreal.”
Smith cemented himself as a mainstay during the next few seasons before being plagued by a torn ACL he picked up in Parramatta’s 2007 qualifying final win against the Warriors. He also had a cyst and bursa in his other knee which required two arthroscopes the next year and restricted him to just two games.
A year later, Smith had a front-row seat on the Jarryd Hayne plane as the Eels made the grand final.
“Jarryd and I were housemates,” Smith said. “When you’re in that moment you don’t realise the magnitude of what is happening. The impact he had was amazing.”
Smith, who works in property development in Newcastle and for the National Disability Insurance Scheme, retired in 2014 after battling shoulder and knee injuries.
Originally published as Nathan Brown, Gus Gould set to join New Zealand Warriors