Brown confronts players

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greeneyed
Don Furner
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Brown confronts players

Post by greeneyed »

It looks like there is a lot of smoke here......


Brown confronts players
March 1, 2005

NATHAN Brown claims his St George Illawarra side is unfairly targeted and says he is fed up with unsubstantiated rumours.

On the eve of the 2005 season, Brown spoke to The Daily Telegraph about the perceived feuds at the club, his relationship with players and a friendship with club chief executive Peter Doust.

He revealed he had discussed with senior players the rumours around the club and told of his frustration at having the Dragons constantly under media scrutiny.

"For some reason people seem to go harder on the Dragons than other clubs," Brown said.

Player dissension rumour

Brown said he called in his senior players to clear any rumblings.

"I wanted to question the senior players just to make sure and to give me peace of mind," Brown said.

"If the rumours keep going you think, 'Maybe there is something to them'. But the players are all happy.

"Hard times such as these will make us a better club.

"A few are disappointed about not playing through injury but as far as where we're going and what we're trying to achieve, everything is good."

Player relationships

Brown relies heavily on star player Trent Barrett.

"I feel comfortable. I'm pretty open and hope the players have the confidence to come and see me. If not me, then Trent," Brown said.

"I trust Trent. We have been mates for a long time.

"I've spoke to Trent because as a coach you do get a bit paranoid.

"As I said I trust Trent and know he would come and see me if there were any problems. He told me everything was all right. I'm not worried. You can use these things to pull everyone closer."

The headlines

Brown believes the Dragons attract more headlines than other clubs because of their famous past.

"There always seems to be talk about the Dragons and their coach," Brown said.

"It always seems to be a big deal.

"I don't know where the rumours come from. Maybe it's someone at another club, maybe someone who has left the club, a disgruntled fan, maybe someone in the media.

"Everyone has their own agendas.

"But you don't want to keep hearing them. The Roosters rested their entire forward pack against Parramatta in the trial. No-one seemed to say anything then.

"There just seems to be more pressure on our club since we merged."

The pre-season

Losses to Souths and Manly have instilled a fear of failure among Dragons supporters.

"The Charity Shield was a touch disappointing but a lot of players weren't there," he said.

"I read the other day we were lacklustre against Manly. We had a dozen players out and were only beaten 26-16.

"It's like having Michael Schumacher driving a Volvo instead of a Ferrari.

"We had a million dollars on the field, they [Manly] had the entire $3.25 million."

Doust's friendship

The pair are mates. So what, asks Brown.

"People criticise my friendship with Peter," he said.

"But Peter is a businessman.

"If he had to tap me on the shoulder then he wouldn't hesitate to do so. I wouldn't even comment on the rumour that he is our chief selector."

The Timmins fight

Brown also claimed a rumour about a fallout with Shaun Timmins was false.

"When one rumour starts, it goes like wildfire in rugby league," he said. "There's the one about 'Timmo' and I having a fight and the other one that the club doesn't want 'Timmo'.

"He was our best on the field for 40 minutes the other night.

"It wasn't the performance of a bloke who looked unhappy. 'Timmo' has been a mate of mine for a long time and is a big part of the club."

The prediction

Brown wants a top-four position.

"Not sure where we'll all be if we don't make the eight," he said.

"But we haven't even thought about that scenario. Everything is looking good for us. It will be tough [the top four] - there are probably 10 other clubs who have set their sights on the top four."

The final word

"All these rumours will be fixed with a couple of wins."

The Daily Telegraph
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Post by Inactive »

Brown is the Eliott of Sydney
Boing Boing
Simon Woolford
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Post by Boing Boing »

Nathan Brown is a ****. He is the reason, if there is a reason, that St George is the most under achieving side since North Sydney of the early to late 90's.
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Post by Inactive »

benmeyer wrote:Nathan Brown is a ****. He is the reason, if there is a reason, that St George is the most under achieving side since North Sydney of the early to late 90's.
thats what I said beny.
DJ Raida
David Furner
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Post by DJ Raida »

where theres smoke theres fire
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greeneyed
Don Furner
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Post by greeneyed »

More smoke..... these stories seem to keep on going.....


Dragon spurns rumour
By James Hooper
March 4, 2005

FRUSTRATED St George Illawarra icon Shaun Timmins has rubbished speculation concerning his supposed feud with Dragons coach Nathan Brown.

Earlier this week it emerged the pair were allegedly at loggerheads with suggestions rife about the Dragons looking to release Timmins.

St George Illawarra have since quashed the pre-season conjecture, compounded by two trial losses, through coach Brown and chief executive Peter Doust.

Brown fronted Timmins to silence the innuendo before the Dragons' trial game against Manly in Wollongong last Saturday night.

Speaking for the first time since the rumour mill went into overdrive, Tri-Nations tourist Timmins is adamant nothing could be more inaccurate, re-affirming his commitment to the Dragons and his friendship with Brown.

"We only found out on the Saturday of the game what was getting said," Timmins said.

"It was supposed to be that we had a blow-up but I get on really good with Browny.

"I've played with him and I've been coached by him for a couple of years.

"It was a bit of a laugh for us, I've honestly got no idea where it came from.

"On the other hand it was disappointing because everything has been going well over the off-season and you would like to think all the focus would be positive.

"It makes the club look bad when people just decide to toss this stuff up."

Dragons coach Brown quashed the rumours by holding a meeting with senior players to clear the air last weekend.

Other damaging suggestions intimated players fronted chief executive Doust to express concerns about Brown, another claim which has since been hosed down.

"The only one I'd heard was that a couple of senior players went to Dousty to complain about Browny but that's far from the truth," Timmins said.

Pre-season defeats at the hands of South Sydney in the Charity Shield then Manly last Saturday night may appear to represent a grim picture for the red and whites.

But the fact remains they have been without half a dozen established stars including captain Trent Barrett, halfback Mathew Head, prop

Jason Ryles, centres Mark Gasnier and Matt Cooper and promising utility Ben Creagh.

With the NRL blockbuster kickoff against the Bulldogs just seven days away coach Brown remains optimistic the majority of top-line stars will be available to meet the premiers, with the exceptions of Gasnier and Ryles.

"We're confident Trent should be right for the Bulldogs," Brown said.

The Daily Telegraph
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hrundi99
Dean Lance
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Post by hrundi99 »

Sometimes there is fire where there's smoke but sometimes the media are just blowing smoke OUT of their arses.
Canberra Raiders Supporter - Established 1982.
Super Cronk
Peter Jackson
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Post by Super Cronk »

should stop slappen them around..that may calm the tension between them :shock:
"Not failure, but low aim, is the crime. In great attempts it is glorious even to fail"
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Raider Azz
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Post by Raider Azz »

hrundi99 wrote:Sometimes there is fire where there's smoke but sometimes the media are just blowing smoke OUT of their arses.
Change that to all the time ;)
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