As coaching departures in sport go, this was top-shelf classy.
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No angst, no acrimony, no ego. Knights coach Nathan Brown fell on his own sword earlier this week, managing to leave behind not a skerrick of blood.
As he has done ever since he arrived at the Knights in 2016, Brown put the club before himself, recognising he may not be the best man to take the current squad forward when stability was needed for future success.
If it was felt a new voice was needed to take Newcastle to the next level, Brown wasn't about to stand in the way.
It's why he told his wife Tanya on Saturday night, just hours after his side had demolished the Cowboys 42-6 to break a six game losing streak, that it was time for them to "make a hard decision so the boss and everyone else can make an easy decision".
A measure of the respect for Brown and the job he has done to rebuild a "basket-case" club came from CEO Phil Gardner, who said he would go down as one of the most important coaches in the Knights history.
This accolade for a man who will walk away at the end of the season with two wooden spoons and a paltry winning record of around 26 percent.
But it is what he has left behind that will be his legacy. A potential top four roster with five current State of Origin players including one of the game's greatest young talents and a junior system that should ensure on-going success for many years to come.
Brown suspected all along that after all the heartache and tough times, he would not still be around to savior the fairy tale that followed. That's life, he says.
With the 'heavy lifting" done, Brown will put his feet up before another opportunity comes along. Given how well he has carried himself in his four years at the Knights, that shouldn't be too long.
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