Brown open to Warriors return
LEWIS BROWN would consider a return to the New Zealand Warriors when his NRL contract with Penrith expires at the end of next season.
Brown played 84 games for the Warriors between 2009 and 2012, before moving to Sydney to join the Panthers.
Christchurch-raised Brown, who is home for Christmas, said the pressure of contract year was not weighing too heavily on his mind leading into 2015.
He said there had been interest from several clubs and he and his manager were in early discussions.
Remaining at Penrith, where he has been for the past two years, is his top priority. If a new deal failed to materialise, he said a reunion with the Warriors would hold appeal.
‘‘There’s options open. [The Warriors] have got staff there at the moment, who I’ve played under – [assistant coach] Tony Iro, and I’ve worked with Jim Doyle, the new chief executive. It’s up to them. I’d love to stay at the Panthers. I Iove playing under [coach] Ivan Cleary, he brings the best out of me.
‘‘Hopefully, we’ll get something wrapped up early.’’
Brown said he was still buzzing from New Zealand’s Four Nations final victory over Australia in Wellington last month.
The win was extra special for the 28-year-old, who gained a Kiwis’ recall for the match after a three-year international hiatus.
Brown’s mother, Trish, was able to watch her son play live in a Kiwis’ jumper for the first time at the final, which meant a lot to him.
‘‘That was the real highlight for me. My mum has raised me as a single mum and she’s the rock of my life. To have here there and to win that game was the icing on the cake.’’
With plenty of experience in the New Zealand squad and exciting playmakers Shaun Johnson and Kieran Foran in the prime of their careers, Brown believed the Kiwis had the ability to build on their success.
‘‘I think it’s a real good stepping stone for us. It seems like they’ve got some good pathways with the Junior Kiwis winning too.
‘‘I think we’ve got some very good young players in key positions, which will lead the Kiwis forward for many years to come.’’
Brown is poised to bring up the 150 NRL-game milestone late in the season for the Panthers next year.
After being unable to break into first grade in Australia at the start of his career, before joining the Warriors, he was proud of what he had accomplished. Next year will be his seventh NRL season.
Penrith were the surprise package of this year’s NRL, winning 15 of their 24 games during the regular season and finishing fourth.
They fell one game short of the grand final, losing the preliminary final 18-12 to the Bulldogs.
With the bulk of their squad back again, Brown was optimistic they could repeat their strong play and contend for the title.
‘‘We probably won’t go under the radar as much as we did this year.
‘‘At the start of last [season] if there’d ask if we’d make the preliminary final, no-one would have given us a hope in hell. We believed we could and it showed in our footy.’’