Nathan Brown (rugby league)

Nathan Brown

Personal information
Full name	Nathan Brown
Nickname	Browny
Born	31 July 1973 (1973-07-31) (age 38) Maclean, New South Wales, Australia
Playing information
Height	178 cm (5 ft 10 in)
Weight	88 kg (13 st 12 lb)
Position	Hooker
Club
Years	Team	Pld	T	G	FG	P
1993–98	St. George Dragons	120	23	0	0	92
1999–00	St. George Illawarra	52	9	0	0	36
	Total	172	32	0	0	128
Coaching information
Club
Years	Team	Gms	W	D	L	W%
2003–08	St. George Illawarra	142	75	0	67	53
2009–	Huddersfield Giants	35
	Total	177	75	0	67	42
Source: NRL Stats, Rugby League Project

Nathan Brown (born 1973) is an Australian professional rugby league football coach currently with the Huddersfield Giants of Super League.^[1] He previously coach the club he played at, the St. George Illawarra Dragons of the National Rugby League until he was replaced by Wayne Bennett at the end of the 2008 season. His primary position was hooker.

Playing

Brown played in the 1993 and 1996 Grand Finals for the St. George Dragons, and the 1999 Grand Final for the newly-formed St George Illawarra Dragons; however he was never on the winning side, beaten by Brisbane, Manly and Melbourne, respectively. He was forced to retire following a neck injury in a trial game in 2001.

Coaching

Brown was appointed coach of the Dragons for the 2003 season, becoming the youngest non-playing coach in years in the NRL at age 29. During his first season, at a match on Sunday 13, April 2003 against Manly at WIN Stadium, a frustrated Nathan Brown berated skipper Trent Barrett, Brett Firman and Lance Thompson on the sideline in the 53rd minute with the scores locked up at 12-all. Brown slapped Barrett across the cheek and grabbed the jerseys of Barrett and Thompson. The incident was seen by the crowd and other players on the big screen and proved a decisive turning point as Manly ran in five second half tries to win 38-12. After the match, Brown was apologetic to Barrett and was later fined $5,000 by the NRL.^{[citation needed]}

After finishing second in the 2005 competition, Brown's team lost the preliminary final to the eventual premiers, Wests Tigers. Following many injuries and team losses throughout the 2007 season, he was under pressure to keep his job heading into the 2008 season.

On 1 April 2008, it was announced that Brown would not coach the Dragons in the 2009 season, which ended an association with the club that stretches back to the start of the joint venture. He was replaced by Wayne Bennett.^[2] on 18 July 2008 it was announced that Brown had signed a 3 year deal with English Super League team, Huddersfield Giants, the same club Tigers superstar Brett Hodgson joined.

In his first season at Huddersfield he took the team to the 2009 Challenge Cup final.

References

1. ^ "2009 NRL Player Movements". NRL Live. 2008-10-04. http://www.nrllive.com.au/2009-nrl-player-movements/. Retrieved 2008-10-04. 
2. ^ "Bennett to coach Dragons from 2009"

External links

• History of St George
• Nathan Brown

Preceded by Andrew Farrar 2000-2002

Coach St George Illawarra Dragons 2003-2008

Succeeded by Wayne Bennett 2009-

Persondata
Name	Brown, Nathan
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	31 July 1973
Place of birth	Maclean, New South Wales
Date of death
Place of death