'Why can't he do it here?': Dragons recruit Brown backs Flanagan to win titles

The 29-year-old - who was signed by his former mentor Shane Flanagan just last week - made his first appearance for the Red V in its comprehensive 30-12 win against the Warriors in Wollongong.

Brown recently returned to Australian shores after a stint in the UK. The NRL journeyman began his career at the Cronulla Sharks, where he was part of the 2016 premiership winning side, led by current Dragons coach Flanagan.

Ahead of the Dragons' upcoming Anzac Day clash with the Roosters, Brown said there were plenty of similarities between the team he won a premiership with eight years ago and his newest side.

"Looking at last week's game against the Warriors, you can just tell there's a different vibe here," Brown said.

"That's a good feeling to be part of. I know what Flanno's bought here. He won it in 2016, so why can't he do it here? For me, I believe in the system. Obviously playing under him before and I'm just excited for this rollercoaster.

"Obviously I've worked with Flanno before as a kid. He's the one that brought me over from New Zealand. Flanno brings that winning mentality and that's what the Dragons have missed here [recently]. Now that he's brought it here, I think the sky is the limit for the Dragons."

Brown's relationship with Flanagan was a huge reason as to why he chose to come from the Dragons. The New Zealand international ended his stint with Hull in the English Super League due to being 'home sick', and said the Dragons boss was the one that convinced him to come back to the NRL.

"I signed the deal with Hull and for me, I'm a man of my word and I tried to stick it out," he said.

"I just said to my manager, I just need to be with my family and then Flanno just said why not? Obviously the timing wasn't right at the start of the year, but now I'm here and I'm just going to put my best foot forward."

It was quite the logistical effort for Brown to be involved in the Dragons' last game against the Warriors following his sudden return from England. His biggest opponent was jet lag.

"I got the release on Friday. I had to pack my house and everything and get that all sorted," he said.

"Then I got here [in Australia] on Monday night around 10:30pm, then I had to rock up on Tuesday and train. My partner and I adjusted the times and I made sure I was sleeping at the right time to try to stay up at the right time.

"Obviously Flanno just brought me on for some minutes and I'm just trying to build from there."

The Dragons are just outside the top eight finals spots heading into the Roosters clash, winning three out of their last four games.