Nathan Brown : Sat Sep 21, 2013 7:49 am  

"To kick a goal from half way... well that is a big kick," Brown said. "Our number one kicker Jonny Lomax isn't kicking because of a hamstring injury so we took the chance to put it into touch. When it's there you have a good chance of scoring or setting up for a field goal. Miss the kick and you might not even get the ball back. We took the safest option with what we are working with at the moment. "It has been a tough season and we effectively began to rebuild the squad during the season. We have made some big changes. For a long time at this club Francis Meli was on the wing with Ade Gardner and Paul Wellens at full back. We now have two young wingers and Jonny Lomax back there. That has added speed. Jon Wilkin has played half which will change next year. The culture of the club is terrific and its effort and commitment is sensational. "The youth system has provided the path to make the rebuild quite quick too. We haven't achieved what we would have liked, but we have achieved in moving forward." http://www.saintsrlfc.com/news/page/3378 Some telling comments there from Brown. So he obviously though we where going to be ok with the team until halfway through the season. So makes a bit more sense with the chopping and changing. I would have thought pre-season would show where we where. But obviously he could not tell a lot from our pre-season and so had to change midway through. I'm a little concerned about Wilkin not playing half next year. That would suggest Lance will. Whilst last week he was good, this week he was back to his suffling best, squeezing out the spaces on the edges and getting caught in several minds with the ball in hand and running into dead ends. His tackling and effort are not to be doubted and it was a great ball steal. But he does seem to not know what to do with the ball unless he is squeezing out the space for the centre and winger on the edges. Looks like the back 3 are nailed on, so the question over Meli's centre spot remains an unknown this next year.

"To kick a goal from half way... well that is a big kick," Brown said. "Our number one kicker Jonny Lomax isn't kicking because of a hamstring injury so we took the chance to put it into touch. When it's there you have a good chance of scoring or setting up for a field goal. Miss the kick and you might not even get the ball back. We took the safest option with what we are working with at the moment. "It has been a tough season and we effectively began to rebuild the squad during the season. We have made some big changes. For a long time at this club Francis Meli was on the wing with Ade Gardner and Paul Wellens at full back. We now have two young wingers and Jonny Lomax back there. That has added speed. Jon Wilkin has played half which will change next year. The culture of the club is terrific and its effort and commitment is sensational. "The youth system has provided the path to make the rebuild quite quick too. We haven't achieved what we would have liked, but we have achieved in moving forward." http://www.saintsrlfc.com/news/page/3378 Some telling comments there from Brown. So he obviously though we where going to be ok with the team until halfway through the season. So makes a bit more sense with the chopping and changing. I would have thought pre-season would show where we where. But obviously he could not tell a lot from our pre-season and so had to change midway through. I'm a little concerned about Wilkin not playing half next year. That would suggest Lance will. Whilst last week he was good, this week he was back to his suffling best, squeezing out the spaces on the edges and getting caught in several minds with the ball in hand and running into dead ends. His tackling and effort are not to be doubted and it was a great ball steal. But he does seem to not know what to do with the ball unless he is squeezing out the space for the centre and winger on the edges. Looks like the back 3 are nailed on, so the question over Meli's centre spot remains an unknown this next year.

Re: Nathan Brown : Sat Sep 21, 2013 7:57 am  

bewareshadows wrote: "To kick a goal from half way... well that is a big kick," Brown said. "Our number one kicker Jonny Lomax isn't kicking because of a hamstring injury so we took the chance to put it into touch. When it's there you have a good chance of scoring or setting up for a field goal. Miss the kick and you might not even get the ball back. We took the safest option with what we are working with at the moment. "It has been a tough season and we effectively began to rebuild the squad during the season. We have made some big changes. For a long time at this club Francis Meli was on the wing with Ade Gardner and Paul Wellens at full back. We now have two young wingers and Jonny Lomax back there. That has added speed. Jon Wilkin has played half which will change next year. The culture of the club is terrific and its effort and commitment is sensational. "The youth system has provided the path to make the rebuild quite quick too. We haven't achieved what we would have liked, but we have achieved in moving forward." http://www.saintsrlfc.com/news/page/3378 Some telling comments there from Brown. So he obviously though we where going to be ok with the team until halfway through the season. So makes a bit more sense with the chopping and changing. I would have thought pre-season would show where we where. But obviously he could not tell a lot from our pre-season and so had to change midway through. I'm a little concerned about Wilkin not playing half next year. That would suggest Lance will. Whilst last week he was good, this week he was back to his suffling best, squeezing out the spaces on the edges and getting caught in several minds with the ball in hand and running into dead ends. His tackling and effort are not to be doubted and it was a great ball steal. But he does seem to not know what to do with the ball unless he is squeezing out the space for the centre and winger on the edges. Looks like the back 3 are nailed on, so the question over Meli's centre spot remains an unknown this next year. Like I said all year when people are bagging Brown. He's rebuilding and doing the job potter and Royce tried to and failed. Brown is now dealing with previous coaches mistakes. Every man and his dog could see we needed halves and props and brine had sorted that for next year. We've now got some genuine pace in the backs with Lomax, Swift, Makinson and Turner. He's cut some of the dead wood that has needed for a long time. He's the coach with the balls to move wello from fullback. The back 3 of of lomax swift and makinson could be our back 3 for next ten years. He's brought the age down of the squad for 2014 which was needed big time. Basically he's doing everything we've been asking to be done for the past 4 years but we've not got a grand final to show for it to paper over the cracks like previous coaches.

bewareshadows wrote: "To kick a goal from half way... well that is a big kick," Brown said. "Our number one kicker Jonny Lomax isn't kicking because of a hamstring injury so we took the chance to put it into touch. When it's there you have a good chance of scoring or setting up for a field goal. Miss the kick and you might not even get the ball back. We took the safest option with what we are working with at the moment. "It has been a tough season and we effectively began to rebuild the squad during the season. We have made some big changes. For a long time at this club Francis Meli was on the wing with Ade Gardner and Paul Wellens at full back. We now have two young wingers and Jonny Lomax back there. That has added speed. Jon Wilkin has played half which will change next year. The culture of the club is terrific and its effort and commitment is sensational. "The youth system has provided the path to make the rebuild quite quick too. We haven't achieved what we would have liked, but we have achieved in moving forward." http://www.saintsrlfc.com/news/page/3378 Some telling comments there from Brown. So he obviously though we where going to be ok with the team until halfway through the season. So makes a bit more sense with the chopping and changing. I would have thought pre-season would show where we where. But obviously he could not tell a lot from our pre-season and so had to change midway through. I'm a little concerned about Wilkin not playing half next year. That would suggest Lance will. Whilst last week he was good, this week he was back to his suffling best, squeezing out the spaces on the edges and getting caught in several minds with the ball in hand and running into dead ends. His tackling and effort are not to be doubted and it was a great ball steal. But he does seem to not know what to do with the ball unless he is squeezing out the space for the centre and winger on the edges. Looks like the back 3 are nailed on, so the question over Meli's centre spot remains an unknown this next year. Like I said all year when people are bagging Brown. He's rebuilding and doing the job potter and Royce tried to and failed. Brown is now dealing with previous coaches mistakes. Every man and his dog could see we needed halves and props and brine had sorted that for next year. We've now got some genuine pace in the backs with Lomax, Swift, Makinson and Turner. He's cut some of the dead wood that has needed for a long time. He's the coach with the balls to move wello from fullback. The back 3 of of lomax swift and makinson could be our back 3 for next ten years. He's brought the age down of the squad for 2014 which was needed big time. Basically he's doing everything we've been asking to be done for the past 4 years but we've not got a grand final to show for it to paper over the cracks like previous coaches.

Re: Nathan Brown : Sat Sep 21, 2013 8:29 am  

You know what, I'd be able to live with Lance at 6 as it would free Walsh up to concentrate on moving the team around the park allowing Lance to run.

Re: Nathan Brown : Sat Sep 21, 2013 8:51 am  

It's been an up and down season, but I think Brown has actually done a half decent job in the end. Some of the performances earlier in the year were disgraceful. This was a combination if injuries and some massive underperforming from senior players. But the last 10-12 weeks we've actually looked like a good side, just lacking in a few areas.

Brown has moved players around and I think we're producing a backline that is as exciting as we've had for many years. Next season we've signed three props and a half back so we should see more benefit next season and improve.

Brown still has a lot of work to do and the jury is still out slightly but recently in the big games we haven't been miles away - beating Wigan, losing narrowly to Warrington and in heart breaking fashion last night. There's reason to be optimistic next season. We've gone through pain this year but we'll be better for it next year with an improved squad.

Re: Nathan Brown : Sat Sep 21, 2013 8:59 am  

Recently had chance to talk to an Aussie Panthers supporter. He said said their fans were very upset Luke Walsh was leaving and they thought Jamie Soward was a step down not an improvement - they preferred to keep Walsh.

He was a bit surprised when I echoed forum thoughts here that Walsh was an organiser not a runner with the ball - he said Walsh can run with the ball just fine and not to have any doubts about that. Maybe posters here are underestimating the effect Walsh will have on Superleague teams when running and not just when using his brilliant kicking game?

He also said Mose was class too.

Re: Nathan Brown : Sat Sep 21, 2013 9:06 am  

Nathan Brown has done a great job this year.

His comments were spot on.

Re: Nathan Brown : Sat Sep 21, 2013 2:57 pm  

Albion wrote:

Nathan Brown has done a great job this year.

His comments were spot on.

I agree with this, and when he reshapes the side to make it his own I believe we'll be a real force in 2014.

Re: Nathan Brown : Sat Sep 21, 2013 8:26 pm  

Brown hasn't done a fine job at all, what are you watching? He has done a fairly average job when you consider the league position. Granted he wasn't dealt a great hand with us having such deficiencies in our squad, but there are no signs the attacking structures that would see us competing in trophies next season avec Walsh are in place or even building towards that. Whilst we haven't had a scrum half this season the moves and set plays shouldn't change much, just the quality of the execution. Walsh isn't going to do all that on his own and it's unfair to expect him to.

Re: Nathan Brown : Sat Sep 21, 2013 9:16 pm  

Hohaia went to 9 as Roby went off and ran fron straight from dummy half whereas Roby runs wide. Time after time he was tackled by Leeds players who were not square at marker but Bentham seemed determined not to give a pen to Saints. Saints first pen was on 50 mins. Leeds don't need that lift up.
Whether Hohaia ran straight on instinct or instruction from Cunningham I don't know but KC made a career on running into not square markers and gaining a pen.
Just makes me wonder who is running the plays as both coaches are former 9s.
Great move for the first Manu try but that seemed the only move all night.

Re: Nathan Brown : Sat Sep 21, 2013 9:37 pm  

Saddened! wrote:

Brown hasn't done a fine job at all, what are you watching? He has done a fairly average job when you consider the league position. Granted he wasn't dealt a great hand with us having such deficiencies in our squad, but there are no signs the attacking structures that would see us competing in trophies next season avec Walsh are in place or even building towards that. Whilst we haven't had a scrum half this season the moves and set plays shouldn't change much, just the quality of the execution. Walsh isn't going to do all that on his own and it's unfair to expect him to.

We haven't had a 7, or a 6, or a decent 9 for a large part of the year. We've also missed our first choice 1 for a decent amount of time.

The entire spine of the team has been in disarray for the entire year and the pack has been filled with youth until the very back end of the season, it's been a bit more than missing a 7.