It’s common practice in the NRL for leading officials to go into hiding or shift blame when drama hits the club, but a brutally honest Nathan Brown has outed himself as the sole figure responsible for the chaotic Matt Lodge departure.
The Warriors coach pointed the finger at no one else when he addressed the press after his side’s 24-16 defeat to the Knights in Brisbane on Saturday.
The New Zealand outfit’s fourth loss in succession followed the mid-week revelation that Lodge had been paid out in full – all $700,000 – despite the fact it was his call to walk before the end of his deal.
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Warriors owner Mark Robinson claimed the reason for the golden handshake was an argument he had with Lodge at a pub last December.
But Brown said the onus was on him because he had recruited Lodge to the club, signing him during the 2021 season.
“When you recruit a player and it doesn’t work out, as it didn’t in Lodgey’s case, it’s no one’s fault but the head coach’s. I brought Lodge to the club and it didn’t work out so that’s on me,” Brown said.
“It’s not on the owner, it’s not on Lodgey, it’s not on anyone; it’s on me. If you’ve got a bloke moving out of your club that you brought to the club you’ve done something wrong. It’s no one else’s fault but the head coach’s.
“If you move players that you didn’t bring to the club that ain’t your fault, because you’re doing your job to help the club get better.
“So I take full responsibility for the Lodgey situation.”
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Peter O’Sullivan was the Warriors recruitment guru when Lodge was signed, but the veteran scouter departed for the Dolphins at the end of last season.
Brown wasn’t involved in the encounter at the pub according to Robinson and Lodge, but the Warriors mentor insisted blame sat squarely on him when that was raised in the press conference.
“As I said, you know, I brought Matt to the club, I was the head coach when he came to the club and it didn’t work out,” Brown said.
“So the full responsibility should fall on me, not anyone else.”
Lodge has turned to club rugby in Brisbane since exiting the Warriors but is a hot tip to join the Dolphins for their inaugural NRL season in 2023.
That’s because of his connection with O’Sullivan and the fact he hasn’t yet joined a club already playing in the NRL.
“I had a chat to Lodgey. I just want him to make his next club work for him. His best years are coming; that’s all I said to him,” Brown said.
“He was playing some really good footy for us. I thought he was playing some really good, consistent footy.
“I just want him to go to a club where he goes and it works out for him for like a four- or five-year block. His best footy’s coming. He’s still only 26.
“Unfortunately it didn’t work out here and, as I said, when you bring a bloke to the club and it doesn’t work out you’ve got to look at what maybe you got wrong.”
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