Former St George Illawarra coach Nathan Brown on Wednesday was tipped to make a success of his move to St Helens by the man who will replace him at Huddersfield in the Super League.
Former Great Britain prop Paul Anderson, who ended his playing career with St Helens, will forever be grateful to the Australian for grooming him as a head coach during his three-and-a-half years at the Galpharm Stadium.
“He’s a very, very good bloke and a great coach,” said Anderson, who will step up from his role of assistant to begin a three-year contract in November when Brown departs the hot seat.
“His man management, the way he handles people is very good and the things he’s done for me as a coach has been second to none.
“It’s been a real privilege to have worked with him. He’s obviously taken me to the next stage.”
Brown has been gradually handing more responsibility to Anderson, who was left to face journalists at the Giants’ weekly media conference.
That disappointed journalists who had hoped to hear Brown’s explanation of his about-turn, having told Huddersfield last December that he would be returning home to Australia at the end of 2012.
Ladbrokes, who say the appointment of Brown cost them STG10,000 ($A15,500) in lost bets, offer odds of 7-2 on the 38-year-old winning the grand final in his first season in charge of Saints and 4-1 to lift the Challenge Cup.
The 38-year-old Brown was Saints’ first choice to succeed Royce Simmons, who was sacked after the club’s worst run in Super League, once former head coach Daniel Anderson ruled out a permanent return to England.
He turned Huddersfield into a major force in Super League, masterminding a Challenge Cup final appearance in his first season and taking the Giants to within 80 minutes of a maiden grand final in 2010.
They top the 2012 table with seven wins from their opening nine matches.
Meanwhile, St Helens will be without captain Paul Wellens and prop forward Anthony Laffranchi for the Good Friday derby with Wigan after both players were handed one-match bans, although Wellens is to appeal his suspension.
They were cited by the Rugby Football League’s match-review panel for dangerous tackles during Saints’ 28-16 win at Warrington and were found guilty of the offences when they appeared in front of the RFL’s disciplinary committee in Leeds.
They were also fined STG300 ($A465).
