Nathan Brown.
RUGBY LEAGUE
Experience at the top level could lead the Wests Tigers to appoint former Dragons coach Nathan Brown as their new mentor for 2013 and beyond.
Four seasons after Brown left St George Illawarra to take over at Huddersfield, his ex-assistant Paul McGregor believes he would return to Australia with the nous to lead the Tigers back into premiership contention.
The sticking point for Brown to take over from Tim Sheens - who was pushed aside yesterday after 10 years in the job - is his contract to coach St Helens next year.
Brown is believed to have a get-out clause should he pick up an NRL position, after Huddersfield were knocked out of the play-offs by Hull.
Melbourne assistant Kevin Walters and Manly's Matt Parish are considered among the contenders, but McGregor believes Brown could be the fit to ensure the Tigers return to the finals.
"None of them have his [NRL head] coaching experience," McGregor said.
"I'm not sure what his situation is with St Helens, but I know he's gained an education to be there on the other side of the world coaching without a lot of friends and family.
"There's not many smarter coaches technically, everyone who has worked with Nathan talks about how good he is as a technical coach.
"With the experience he's gained over there, I think he's certainly grown as a coach too."
McGregor, now coaching in the NSW Cup with the Illawarra Cutters, was Brown's strength and conditioning manager from 2002-08.
Brown left the NRL after the Dragons signed Wayne Bennett, who took the club to the 2010 title.
Tigers chairman David Trodden said Sheens - who has been heavily linked with the vacant Warriors role - would have all the time he needed to decide on a new role at the club.
"He was the coach of our first premiership winning team and for all of those reasons he will always have a special place in the history of our club," Trodden said.
"The last 10 days have been particularly difficult for everyone and the one thing which has shone through, has been the dignified and professional manner in which Tim has conducted himself.
"We are very keen for Tim to continue with our club in a senior role as part of our restructure."
Trodden said no timeframe had been placed on the search for a new head coach.
Sheens took the Tigers to the 2005 premiership after stunning the fancied Dragons - coached by Brown - in the preliminary final.
But after making a preliminary final in 2010 and semi-final last year, the Tigers missed the top eight this year and Beau Ryan, Chris Heighington, Bryce Gibbs and Andrew Fifita have headed for the exit to join Cronulla.
As the Tigers rebuild, McGregor said there was no doubt Brown would be interested in a return to Australia, even if it meant pulling the pin on St Helens.
"If he got the opportunity to come home, he would," he said.
"If you're going to coaching at the elite level you've got to coach in the NRL and it burns inside him I'm sure."