we only had one of them last year

Indeed. So it is difficult to judge accurately whether he will be any good at Saints. But the fact that they get all the way to a semi in the playoffs but bottle it, or capitulate completely like they did last season (going backwards in fact), concerns me.

But man what a difference his presence made.

indeed, but still just one man

Correct, we can only judge him on what he's done at the giants. He's took a team that was finishing in the bottom four to a team that is a top four team, Ade a Wembley final and are genuine title contenders.

He will do for me

I'm not criticising the appointment, I'm suggesting he's crazy for leaving Huddersfield for us right now. Turning this ship around will be harder than the job he had at Huddersfield. There he inherited no real stars and could recruit. At Saints there is much less room to bring players in due to the quota, cap and existing contracts. Big, big job and talk of winning championships with this squad is far fetched IMO.

I don't think he regrets it at all.

We've a better squad, better youth coming thru, bigger club and I bet he's getting well paid.

We are not far off having a team good enough to win cups again. IMO we are three players short of being the dominant force again.

So you have already pinned your colours to the mast eh Pete? I'm sure I was criticised recently for doing the same thing ...

I'm remaining skeptical if that's ok. I will wait and see, give him the first season, same as previous coaches!

I've not pinned my colours to any mast but I do like brown and it looks a good appointment but as with any coach, we will have to see.

Those three players would need to be Billy Slater, Jonathon Thurston and Paul Gallen to be honest.

A good experinced quality halfback, good attacking centre and a tackle breaking forward and I think we will be up there again.

We're a top #7, 1 or 2 solid props, a few good out of sorts players finding a bit of form/fitness, and a bit of decent coaching/tactics away from being able to clean up. We might still this season if we get injury-free and hit form at the right time. Stop talking your usual affected wet nonsense.

Any decent coach would be rubbing their hands at the prospect of turning this Saints team around as the core of a top 2 side is there definitely.

A change of tactics and approach is something that we need, and I feel that Nathan Brown is the perfect candidate for that brief: he's up there with Tony Smith as one of the best head coaches in the league.

Do you actually believe half the crap you come out with or do you do it for a reaction? i'm pretty sure you can't be serious! Turning this ship around will be a harder job than he had at Huddersfield? So in the year before Brown took over they were good enough to beat Leeds 46-6 and then the following week finish off a very good Wire side within the first 20! was they able to make it to 6 consecutive Grand Finals or did they have a superior youth set up to us?...

of course he doesnt! Saddened is the (much needed) couter balance to mad optimism

When Brown arrives his main problem is going to be sorting out the attitude issues amongst your players - it's a talented squad but one which only seems to play well when it wants to.

Standards have slipped at Saints and I think many of your current squad are going to find life under Brown very difficult. I would expect a clear out and your players to be under a lot more pressure than they have been for the last couple of seasons. It pains me to say it but he is right man for the job.

I can't argue with that. I've said in a previous thread I'm hoping Brown instills a more ruthless attitude amongst the players. Good coaches get that extra 10-15% out of players and that could be the difference between winning and losing the big games.

Whilst I think Brown would like one or 2 new faces to come in, he certainly has alot to work with, especially with the young talent at the club.

Can't argue with that really.

He's going to have 2013 to look at the squad and then get rid of the dead-wood. Ade Gardner, Michael Shenton, Josh Perry, Tony Puletua, Anthony Laffranchi and Mark Flanagan are the ones who will need to impress him as they are in the last year of their contracts.

Brown will have a major challenge on his hands inheriting a very average squad of players.

Whilst I could certainly understand some people may be disappointed that we haven't signed a triple A coach from Australia, I cannot understand why anyone would be unhappy with Brown coming in. I think he has done a fantastic job with Huddersfield, and if he can have the same success here, then we're going to be talking about another possible dynasty.

Once again, utterly wrong. They are not average players. They have had average coaching for the last 2-3 years.

this

Come on guys. I can buy this being one of the better Saints packs of the past 20 years. But if you think the problems we're experiencing from 1 - 7 are solely down to "bad coaching" you're losing your marbles.

There's some serious overestimates of ability going on here.

I wouldn't say this is one of the best packs we've had in 20 years.