BROWNIE: Give great players more room to work their magic
The most interesting thing I noticed about the NRL action over the weekend was the move by both the Dragons and South Sydney to move a key player from the left side of the field to fullback. In both...
View ArticleBROWNIE: Storm’s combinations the secret to their success
There were some impressive performances over the weekend, none more so than the Melbourne Storm, who showed again how just lethal their star axis of Smith, Cronk, and Slater is. Throw hard yard guys...
View ArticleBROWNIE: Warriors, Manly show just how hard NRL is to dominate
Five weeks in and the most apparent thing about the NRL this season is just how close it is. Again! Last year’s grand finalists, the Warriors and Manly, kicked off round one in what I thought was the...
View ArticleBROWNIE: Sharks show the benefits of good recruitment
The performance of Cronulla has caught my eye over the past few weeks. Aside from the Storm, they’re the form side at the moment, with four wins on the trot. And much of that can be put down to a...
View ArticleBROWNIE: Hayne at 6 for NSW could be a masterstroke
The most interesting and potentially contentious Origin selection teaser that Blues coach Ricky Stuart has thrown out so far is the possibility that Jarryd Hayne will play five-eighth. It could be a...
View ArticleBROWNIE: ANZAC Day matches carry a special emotion for players
From my experience as both a player and a coach, I can tell you that ANZAC Day games are traditionally one of the bigger events of the year for NRL players. It’s always a emotional game to be a part...
View ArticleBROWNIE: Without the pressure, Eels show they can play
It was an amazing 15 minutes or so of attacking football from Parramatta at the end of their narrow loss on the weekend to the Tigers. And it emphasised just what the club is capable of without the...
View ArticleBROWNIE: Maguire pulls a rabbit out of a hat with Inglis at fullback
Michael Maguire deserves a lot of credit for moving Greg Inglis back to fullback. Some of you may recall that Inglis started as a fullback, before his path in that position was blocked by perhaps the...
View ArticleBROWNIE: Stuart picks an exciting team for Origin Game One
I was impressed with the Blues team selected for Origin One next week. It reflects a realisation that NSW are going to have to score a lot of points to beat Queensland. There’s been a lot of discussion...
View ArticleBROWNIE: Blues dominant everywhere except scoreboard
That was an exciting match last night, with the Blues dominating most aspects of the game, but the Maroons – with luck very much on their side – coming out on top at the end. Origin 1 Player Ratings:...
View ArticleBROWNIE: How coaching differs in England and Australia
Having been the head coach at the Huddersfield Giants in the UK Super League since 2009, and previously the coach of St George Illawarra in the NRL, I’ve had a first hand view of the differences – and...
View ArticleBROWNIE: Leave Ricky alone, he’s the right man for the job
I’ve been bemused by some of the chatter this week suggesting that Ricky Stuart’s head should be on the line if the Blues don’t win this State of Origin series against Queensland. Let’s look at some of...
View ArticleBROWNIE: How NSW can give the Maroons the Blues
I’ve been singing Ricky Stuart’s praises in my columns of late, and plenty of readers have given me stick about it. But after watching the Blues win State of Origin two, I have to say again, he is by...
View ArticleBROWNIE: NRL Top Eight is not set in stone. Yet!
On paper it would seem like the top eight teams for the finals are pretty much in place now, and all that’s left for the remainder of the season is the jockeying to see where each of them will finish....
View ArticleBROWNIE: Sonny Bill’s return a great thing for NRL
Back when I started coaching Flegg at St George, my then assistant coach was Steve Price, the current Dragons head coach. As part of his job at the club, Steve watched all the SG Ball matches and kept...
View ArticleBROWNIE: Epic month ahead in the race for the eight
I was saying to a friend in England the other day that four or five weeks ago, no one would have predicted that either Newcastle or the Gold Coast would be chances of making the eight this year. Their...
View ArticleBROWNIE: Lots of strong options for Blues coaching job
I’ve heard a lot of people complaining that there aren’t many suitably qualified candidates to take over as the Blues coach from Ricky Stuart. I disagree. I’m sure Ricky would have loved to have been...
View ArticleBROWNIE: My money is on the Sea Eagles
While all the attention, rightly so, is on the Bulldogs at the moment, and their hot streak doesn’t look like ending anytime soon, I still like the look of a fully fit Manly side to take out the title...
View ArticleBROWNIE: Experience counts for everything in coaching
It’s been an interesting week in NRL coaching circles, with one coach given the shove from his club and another given the reigns of the NSW team without having coached at club level yet. I feel sorry...
View ArticleBROWNIE: NRL Grand Finalists will only come from the top four
Looking at the teams at the moment, Canterbury and Manly are everyone’s pick at this stage to play in the Grand Final – and with good reason. I just can’t see a team from outside of the four making a...
View ArticleBROWNIE: Storm emerge from weekend the pick of the bunch
I predicted a few weeks back that Manly were the team to beat in this year’s premiership, and while that hasn’t changed if they can keep their stars on the field, the fall-out from this weekend has...
View ArticleBROWNIE: Why I’m backing the Storm to go all the way
I had the privilege this week of spending a few days in Melbourne with the Storm and their coaching staff and it was a revelation to see just how much has changed in the four years since I last coached...
View ArticleBROWNIE: The Storm to rain on the Bulldogs parade
It’s great to see the teams that ran first and second in the premiership are now playing in the Grand Final. It shows the new finals format has worked effectively and provided a just ending to the...
View ArticleNRL Grand Final 2012: BROWNIE – Storm execute under pressure
Whilst it’s undeniable that both Des Hasler and Craig Bellamy are two of the smartest coaches in the NRL, it was the Melbourne Storm who better managed to execute their game plan in the often-emotional...
View ArticleBROWNIE: My heart says Wigan, but my head says Roosters
It should be a cracking match this Saturday when Wigan tackle the Roosters at Allianz Stadium. But in many ways, the tables have been turned from usual World Cup Challenge matches, which has...
View ArticleBROWNIE: Rule changes forcing teams to play less like the Storm
What a topsy turvy NRL season we’ve had so far. I think I can safely say that I’ve never seen a team lead the competition despite a negative for-and-against record. How unpredictable is it? I’d hate to...
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