New St Helens coach Nathan Brown is looking forward to going up against former club Huddersfield Giants when the 2013 Super League season gets under way this weekend.
Brown joined Huddersfield in 2009, following five years at St George Illawarra in the NRL, but quit halfway through last season after his move to Saints was announced.
That left the Giants without a coach although ex-Saints prop Paul Anderson stepped into the breach on a part-time basis and has since secured the position permanently.
Brown meanwhile has taken over at St Helens and, as luck would have it, the Saints will welcome Huddersfield on the opening Saturday of the season.
But Brown, who was expected by many to return to the NRL after his Giants’ contract was up, insists there is no bad blood and that he will be focusing on victory and nothing else.
“It’s going to be enjoyable up against Huddersfield in my first St Helens game,” said Brown.
“I like all the people there – I shook hands with them all when I left, with all the players.
“Paul Anderson is a good mate of mine. Obviously, I want us to win this week, but I want Huddersfield to have a good year as well.
“Wigan, Leeds and Warrington have dominated rugby league over the last four years – they’ve won six of the eight trophies.”
There will be another homecoming on the opening weekend, this time for Gareth Ellis when Hull visit defending champions Leeds on Friday.
Ellis, who joined the Black and Whites from NRL outfit Wests Tigers in the off-season, spent four seasons with Leeds before heading to Australia.
But now back on English soil and skippering Hull, the 31-year-old is confident his new side have what it takes to replicate Leeds’ recent successes.
“I’m really excited about going back to Leeds, I’m really looking forward to it and it’s a fitting return to Super League against your old club,” he said.
“It’s a great test and challenge for us. We’ve worked hard in the off-season, there’s a lot of hype about us and we’re coming up against the current champions.
“It will be a great opportunity for us to set down a marker and see where we are. Time will tell where we are. We are very ambitious and the club wants to be a Leeds, a Warrington or a Wigan.”
Elsewhere, Warrington bring up the curtain on their season on Sunday as they welcome Castleford to the Halliwell Jones Stadium.
Warrington finished as runners up in the Grand Final last season.
AFP rj/wk