Brown leaves Warriors - assistant steps up

Vodafone Warriors CEO Cameron George has today announced head coach Nathan Brown’s departure and current assistant coach Stacey Jones will take over for the rest of the 2022 NRL season.

The decision leaves Jones in charge for the last 11 rounds of the campaign starting with Sunday’s game against Cronulla Sutherland, at Moreton Daily Stadium, kick-off 6.15pm.

“Nathan told us he had made a personal decision that for family reasons he wouldn’t be able to relocate to New Zealand as originally planned for the long term,” said George.

“We fully appreciate his position and the call he has made. Given those circumstances we agreed we needed to make an immediate change.

“It’s tough for everyone involved but, in the best interests of the club, we felt we had to go in a different direction now.

New coach

“Nathan has worked so hard for our club and we are extremely disappointed it has come to this. We’re truly grateful for what he has done and wish him and his family all the very best for the future.”

Jones (46) steps into the position after being involved with the club in playing and coaching roles for all but a few years of its existence.

“Stacey’s love of the club and knowledge of it is unparalleled. He has been on the inside of it for close to 25 years,” said George.

“We’ll be giving him, staff and players all the support possible for the rest of the season.”

Jones played his entire 261-game NRL career with the Vodafone Warriors from 1995-2005 and then again in 2009 following two years with Les Catalans in the Super League in 2006 and 2007.

Search starts

After a part-time coaching role with the Vodafone Warriors in 2008 and his comeback year in 2009, he returned as the club’s pathways manager in 2013 before coaching the Vodafone Junior Warriors to the 2014 NYC premiership title.

In 2015 and 2016 he guided the club’s New South Wales Cup side to the finals each season.

He has been in an NRL assistant coach’s position since 2017 apart from last year when he returned home to work with the club’s Sky Sport Future Warriors programme before heading back to Australia to re-join the NRL squad’s coaching staff this season.

George said the club appreciated Jones stepping in to take up the role on an interim basis.

He added he would now work with owner Mark Robinson on an agreed process to appoint a new head coach.