Saints are warned by Super League leaders Giants not to approach Brown

The Giants chief has been installed as the bookmakers’ favourite to succeed Royce Simmons, who paid the price for his club’s worst run in Super League, but Saints may have to wait until the end of the season to get their man.

St Helens have also dispensed with the services of Simmons’s assistant, Kieron Purtill, following a fourth consecutive defeat at Bradford on Saturday which left the club outside the top eight.

Head of performance Mike Rush has been appointed as acting head coach, with assistance from former captain Keiron Cunningham, ahead of Sunday’s Grand Final re-match with Leeds at Langtree Park while Saints ponder Simmons’s successor.

Brown, who is leaving Huddersfield later this year after four years in charge at the Galpharm Stadium, had been linked with a move to St Helens even before the start of their wretched run and speculation reached such a fever pitch yesterday that the Giants were forced to issue a statement clarifying their position.

“Having been inundated by the press in respect of the situation of head coach Nathan Brown, the club and Nathan wish to place the following on record:

“Nathan Brown will be the head coach at Huddersfield Giants until October 30, 2012. There is categorically no wish from either party to deviate in any form from the coaching succession plan put in place last year.”

Brown, who has turned the Giants into genuine title contenders during his three years at the club, last November confirmed his intention to step down at the end of this season and the club have already announced he will be succeeded in 2013 by assistant Paul Anderson.

The former St George Illawarra coach was expected to return to Australia but, with top jobs in the NRL scarce, he could be tempted by the St Helens vacancy.

Brown said: “I have seen all the speculation and I am going nowhere. I have a job here until the end of this season and that’s that for me.

“This group of players and the club are very special to me and I will leave here at the end of October having given my absolute best to try and achieve the goals we have set ourselves.

“What the situation is at any other club is not for me to comment upon.”

Huddersfield managing director Richard Thewlis said the club had not received any approach from St Helens.

He said: “We have a great relationship with our coach, who we are determined will leave our club with silverware at the end of this year.

“All our focus is going into this club having a wonderful year. There will be no changes here to our plans.”

Since Saints announced the departure of Simmons, Ladbrokes say money has flooded in for Brown to take over and they make him the 6-4 favourite. Rush is second in the betting at 3-1 with Cunningham earning a 4-1 quote.

Jessica Bridge, of Ladbrokes, said: “The odds suggest the Saints will bring in an experienced coach in order to get back to winning ways.

“Four defeats on the bounce is not good enough for last year’s finalists and all fingers are pointing at Brown.”

St Helens must now decide whether to wait for their preferred choice or look elsewhere, although newly-appointed Exiles coach Daniel Anderson last week ruled out a return to the club he guided to Challenge Cup and Grand Final glory from 2006-08.

The 51-year-old Simmons, who was in the second year of a two-year contract, having succeeded Mick Potter, is the first coach to be sacked by St Helens since Ian Millward in 2005.

Simmons took Saints to the semi-finals of the Challenge Cup and a sixth successive Grand Final appearance last season but they have taken just a point from their last five matches, their worst run since 1985.

St Helens chairman Eamonn McManus said: “Our season has got off to a difficult start and it is best to make change sooner rather than later.

“We have every faith in Mike Rush and Keiron Cunningham. They each know the club inside out and have all the experience together to take us forward.

“I would like to go on record to pay genuine tribute to Royce Simmons.”