Nathan Brown wishes his former Super League club Huddersfield every success for the new season – but only after Saturday’s opening match.

The charismatic Australian, who last July cut short his stay with the Giants following a dramatic slump in the team’s fortunes, takes charge of his first Super League match as St Helens coach when his old club visit Langtree Park.

“It’s going to be exciting,” Brown said.

“There’ll be plenty of guys I know. I’ve said a number of times I want Huddersfield to do well – just not against St Helens. It’ll be good.”

It will be master versus apprentice, with Brown going up against his former assistant Paul Anderson, who was his right-hand man at the John Smith’s Stadium for four seasons.

Brown recommended the former Great Britain prop as his successor and is expecting him to make a success of his first role of head coach.

“I think it is a great appointment,” he said.

“Paul has done seven or eight years as an assistant and is more than ready to have a shot on his own.

“We’re good friends and we both helped each other develop as coaches.

“Baloo was a great assistant coach and always challenged me. He is not a yes-no coach. He has got a lot of ideas himself and puts his case forward. He helped me and hopefully I helped him.”

Anderson, who took charge of Huddersfield for the last eight matches of the season, says a match is never about the coaches.

But he admits he owes a debt of gratitude to his old boss.

“It is another game,” Anderson said.

“You have got to play Saints away at some point in the year.

“That’s how we look at it, rather than Nathan Brown being there. Good luck to Browny – but not against the Giants.

“In regards to my coaching career, Browny – and I have told him myself, face to face – he has been massive for me in my career.

“He might have given me a bit too much – we’ll wait and see on Saturday.

“I owe Browny. I’ve got a lot of time for him as a person and as a coach. He is one hell of a good coach and a great person. I know he is always there for some advice, but probably not this week.”