Nathan Brown says he’ll be ready to take the bullets again when the next NRL club is destroyed by a “selfish” coach.
Brown used Wednesday’s press conference at Newcastle as a virtual sales pitch for his next role, even if he has no idea where or with whom it will be.
The Knights announced on Tuesday their coach, the former NSW State of Origin star, was leaving at the end of the season.
Brown now accepts his common role is rebuilding after taking the Hunter club’s roster from one of the worst in the league to one of the best.
“There are always going to be jobs for people like me, because there are plenty of selfish coaches who make short-term decisions and ruin football clubs,” Brown said.
“And some boss will get me in and ask me to take some bullets for a couple of years.
“And the same thing will happen there, that’s how it is.”
Brown’s decision to walk away from the Knights at the end of the season while still in finals contention could still help him.
He avoided an end-of-season review and in turn admitted he made a difficult decision an easy one for Newcastle powerbrokers.
Had he survived he admitted there would have been pressure on him next season, particularly if the Knights started poorly.
Instead, he is still one of rugby league’s great rebuilders.
He was forced to rebuild St George Illawarra midway through his first tenure as coach, and two years after he left they won a title under Wayne Bennett.
Brown then took Huddersfield from outside the finals to a preliminary in his first season in England, and they remained a force long after he left.
He won a title in his second season at St Helen’s, but then returned home to rebuild a Newcastle side from the rubble to among next year’s title favourites.
Kalyn Ponga, Mitchell Pearce and David Klemmer have been among his biggest gifts, as he made the Knights an attractive option again.
“When you are starting from that base there is the highest likelihood that you’re not going to get the benefit,” Brown said.
“Everyone wants the ultimate prize. But life isn’t full of fairytales, I’ll give you the tip.
“I’ve done a lot of heavy lifting with a lot of people. But in the business I’m in you don’t always get the cherry on the top, some other coach gets that.”
Brown’s present options are limited. The St Helen’s job looks set for Kristian Woolf and Garth Brennan has also claimed the Gold Coast job.
But a job will no doubt open up.
“This club was burnt to the ground a couple of years ago and we’ve had to build it from the ground up again,” Knights CEO Philip Gardner said.
“Nathan has been fantastic for us and anyone who gets him will be lucky to have him.”
