Lance Thompson thinks one factor contributed to Nathan Brown’s infamous slap

IT’S the moment that will forever define Nathan Brown’s coaching career, and Lance Thompson thinks one factor exacerbated his tiff with Trent Barrett.

THOUGH he surely doesn’t want it to, it’s the moment that will forever define Nathan Brown’s coaching career.

On the sideline at WIN Stadium back in 2003, the then-St George Illawarra Dragons coach called over senior players Trent Barrett, Lance Thompson and Brett Firman to let them know he wasn’t happy with how their game against Manly was panning out.

He poked Thompson in the chest and pulled him back by the jersey when he tried to walk away, and there was more finger pointing than a teacher doing a head count at the end of a school excursion. But he saved his most dramatic act for Barrett — the captain at the time.

He slapped the Red V’s favourite son in the face, something Brown regrets to this day. He was 29 and in his first season as an NRL coach, but though it was a rash decision made by an inexperienced youngster, it still follows him to this day.

Speaking on 9 News on Monday night, Thompson said his coach was clearly fuming. But there was one factor that didn’t do Brown’s blood pressure any favours.

“The fans in the background were really, really egging him on. That’s probably what hasn’t been written,” said Thompson.

“Every poke he did or every slap he did they were right behind him. They were applauding it and they were standing on their feet more than watching the game.

“I think he rode on a fair bit of emotion that day.”

Barrett is finding out how unforgiving coaching in the NRL can be.

Brown’s stint in Newcastle hasn’t been a happy one so far.

Brown has previously admitted he was wrong to get physical with his players in plain view of everyone, and Thompson reinforced just how hard it must have been for Barrett to cop that type of treatment.

“No one needs to be belittled on a sideline ... he was obviously captain at the time and he didn’t deserve that. No one deserves that type of stuff,” said the red-haired back-rower.

Now coach of the Newcastle Knights, Brown is set to line up against his former pupil when the Novocastrians take on the Barret-led Manly outfit next Monday at Hunter Stadium. But he won’t be thinking about that incident 13 years ago when he steps into the coaching box.

“I’ve moved on from that,” said Brown.

“There’s no way in the world you can justify what I did … but that was a part of me growing as a coach.”

The coaches haven’t enjoyed the best of starts to their tenures with their new clubs. The Knights have notched only one win in seven starts and were thrashed 53-0 by the Broncos on Saturday night, while the Sea Eagles have struggled to get their combinations going and have a 3-4 record.

Originally published as Lance Thompson thinks one factor contributed to Nathan Brown’s infamous slap