The Kiwi club announced a raft of back-office changes on Thursday, confirming general manager football Brian Smith had departed after two years in Auckland while conditioning coach Alex Corvo and Canterbury Cup coach Nathan Cayless had also moved on.

A long-serving club head coach in the NRL and Super League, Smith Brown has been contracted as a "specialist coach".

Chief executive Cameron George said Brown won't be with the players on a full-time basis.

"Nathan has terrific credentials with his background as a coach and former player," George said in a statement.

"He'll work with the squad over the summer and will be used from time to time during the course of the season."

Brown's four-year reign at Newcastle ended prematurely in August when he tendered his resignation two weeks before the end of a disappointing campaign.

The 46-year-old's first NRL head coach role was from 2003-8 with the club he served as a player, St George Illawarra.

He had Super League stints with Huddersfield and St Helens before joining Newcastle in 2016.

Other key signings include former Wallabies rugby union strength and conditioning coach Craig Twentyman, along with former Melbourne and Newcastle hooker Slade Griffin.

Griffin, 28, announced the end of his injury-wracked playing career earlier on Thursday and will take up a development role in Auckland.

Former Parramatta and Warriors prop Justin Morgan takes over as the club's Canterbury Cup coach.

Australian Associated Press