Brown's philosophy in the very early days of his coaching career appears, outwardly at least, to be simple: maximum effort plus a willingness to throw the ball around can compensate for a lack of resources and star power.
It has been, one should not forget, a horrific year for Otago rugby. The union plunged into the financial mire, nearly went into liquidation and almost withdrew from the ITM Cup.
It is only thanks to the generosity of the community and sponsors that an Otago team is on the field at all. Perhaps that debt can never really be repaid, but all the players - young and mostly homegrown - can do is play with spirit and verve.
The assumption has to be that playing with low expectations will have a liberating effect on the team. But you sense Brown has had enough of referring to the financial mess, and simply wants to help his side get some results.
"We've got a style we want to play. As long as the boys try to do that every week, and give as much as they can, I'll be happy," he said after the game at Forsyth Barr Stadium on Saturday.
"I thought we did a lot of good things out there. We let in some soft tries as well, but when you try to play at high speed, you're going to miss a few tackles."
Certainly, the high number of defensive lapses would have been a concern. The lineout also had some issues, although Brown put that down to a lack of combinations, and felt the set phase was a strength when everything clicked.
Otago's loose forwards were effective at the breakdown and the tight five provided a reasonable scrum, but this was a night for the backs to shine.
First five-eighth Hayden Parker produced a stunning display of goal kicking, landing his first 10 shots, including six penalties, one off the Otago record held jointly by Greg Cooper and Blair Feeney.
Many in recent seasons have lamented the lack of spark in the Otago backline but there could be no complaints on Saturday.
Buxton Popoali'i pulled out all his magic tricks on the wing, rookie fullback Tony Ensor made a spectacular debut, All Black utility Tamati Ellison created gaps and Japanese test halfback Fumiaki Tanaka showed all the talk of his lightning pass and pace was accurate.
"He's a great player with a big heart," Brown said of Tanaka.
"He's a small man but he puts his body on the line every time."
Ensor is one of the faces of the new regime. Out of Dunstan High School and the Kaikorai club, he looks like an old-fashioned footballer (read: skinny) but he has the sort of top-level speed and enterprise that people love to watch.
Brown said Ensor had shone in recent weeks and was only going to get better. He also had high praise for Parker, the hero of Taieri's win in the club final.
"I thought he was outstanding.
He controlled the game really well."
Parker and Otago held their composure admirably after relinquishing a handy lead.
The Razorbacks had raced to a 20-3 lead after the first quarter.
The first try featured some nice distribution among the outside backs, and the second was a delightful creation that included a Popoali'i chip and chase, some linking play from Glenn Dickson and a finish from Ellison.
Northland then lost halfback Samisoni Filisau to the sin bin but responded with a dominant spell, easing in front by a point.
The Otago players, possibly too young and raw to get nervous, responded with two more lovely tries, and Parker's boot did the rest.
Ellison and fellow All Black squad member Adam Thomson will again be released to play for Otago against Bay of Plenty on Thursday.
Prop Tama Tuirirangi has a minor calf strain but there are no other injuries.
ITM Cup
The scores
Otago 46
Jayden Spence, Tamati Ellison, Tony Ensor, Buxton Popoali'i tries; Hayden Parker 4 con, 6 pen
Northland 34
Matt Wallis, Jack Whetton, Samisoni Fisilau, Eddie Paea tries; Ash Moeke 4 con, 2 pen
Halftime: Otago 23-13.
Crowd: 5408.
