Newcastle Knights are set to drop a bombshell with coach Nathan Brown and the club to part ways at the end of the season.
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The Newcastle Herald has learned Brown will remain at the helm for the remainder of the season before relinquishing his position after four years at the club.
The Knights are expected to officially announce his mutually agreed departure as early as today or Wednesday once the details surrounding a payout are signed off on.
The shock news comes despite the Knights being still in finals contention with the club needing to win their remaining three games against Wests Tigers, Gold Coast Titans and Penrith and hope some other results go their way to sneak into the top eight.
You can follow our live updates of the reaction from fans in our blog.
It's understood Brown and Knights CEO Phil Gardner, who enjoy a close relationship, met on Monday to discuss the coach's future with Brown believed to have decided over the weekend it was in everyone's best interests he finish up this year.
While the coach had an open-ended contract without any real performance triggers for this season, the Knights recent run of six straight losses is believed to have seen the club begin looking at potential alternative coaches should the decision be made down the track to sack Brown.
Brown was appointed coach back in 2016 after Rick Stone was sacked as coach late in 2015, replaced in an interim capacity by Danny Buderus.
A former St George Illawarra player and coach, Brown had taken St Helens to an English Super League title before linking with the Knights.
Coming off a wooden spoon year and with the club's salary cap in disarray, he immediately announced a re-building program and cleaned out an aging roster.
The side won just one game in his first year to finish with a second straight wooden spoon before winning the spoon again in 2017. But the recruitment of the likes of Kalyn Ponga, Mitchell Pearce and David Klemmer over the past couple of seasons has the club now vying for a play-offs spot for the first time in six years.
He has won just 24 of his 68 matches as Knights coach for a winning rate of just 26 percent.
