Brown refreshed after break

New St Helens coach Nathan Brown will go against a former club for the first time in his playing and coaching career this Friday.

Huddersfield make the trip to Langtree Park for Brown’s first game in charge of Saints, in a pre-season friendly on Friday.

The Australian left the Giants midway through last season, after a dip in form following the announcement in April that he was to move to Merseyside for 2013.

That enabled him to return home for six weeks, where he took a break away from the game.

Brown told the club’s official website: “It was a good thing. I’d not had a break for a long time. We came back to this country and are now settled in St Helens. We loved our time in Holmfirth and met some great friends.

“Now this is a new challenge. This club carries a lot of tradition – that was the same at St George and at Huddersfield.

“Friday’s game will be interesting. In all my playing and coaching career I have never gone against a former club before and I’m looking forward to it.”

Brown won 58% of his matches in charge of the Giants, picking up 76 victories in 131 starts.

He took over at the then Galpharm Stadium in 2009, leading Huddersfield to 3rd, 5th and 4th in his three full seasons in charge.