With their hopes of securing Cameron Munster dead and buried, the Dolphins are staying focused as they seek a marquee half to join the NRL's newest franchise.
Munster's decision to remain with the Storm received a frosty reaction from coach Wayne Bennett, who criticised the star for not informing him of the decision as well as the NRL for not doing enough to support the new club.
READ: Bennett takes aim at NRL over lack of Dolphin support
But now the Dolphins must continue their search, with reports claiming the club is now targeting both Mitchell Moses and Dylan Brown from Parramatta as a ‘Plan B' after their failed Munster hunt.
The duo is currently both off-contract in 2024, meaning they're open to discussing their future with other clubs come November 1. Moses has already confirmed he will test his worth on the open market.
There are no guarantees that the Dolphins will land either despite their considerable war chest, with NewsCorp also reporting that the Bulldogs are ready to fight tooth-and-nail for the No.7 as they prepare their own multi-million dollar bid.
Moses and Brown are currently on $900,000 and $850,000 respectively, but with both expected to command more for their next contracts, the Eels may find it difficult to retain both, despite clearing plenty of room this year following a number of departures.
Both are headed to the World Cup, which kicks off this week. Brown will play for New Zealand, while Moses has been selected to represent Lebanon.
The Eels have also confirmed a number of extensions and signings in the past 24 hours, headlined by form back-rower Shaun Lane.
With Ben Hunt and Cameron Munster recently locking in their futures, Moses and Brown are moving to the top of the pack of the most-desirable off-contract playmakers, and the Dolphins have been paying close attention.
“I've had discussions with Wayne and (recruitment boss) Peter (O'Sullivan) about what our targets look like for 2024. Cameron (Munster) wasn't the only one,” Dolphins boss Terry Reader told the Courier Mail.
“We have a number of guys we've been on the lookout for and we have the salary cap room to table competitive offers.”
“We are certainly in the market (for a star half), nothing changes in that regard.
“Now that we have clarity on Cameron Munster, we'll continue negotiations with other players and their managers.
“We're comfortable with our progress and we'll fill more roster spots before kick-off in 2023.”
While Moses has expressed his hope that a deal can be worked out with the club, Brown's manager Chris Orr admitted it would take an offer over $1 million to possibly lure Brown away from Sydney's west.
“He has a great relationship with everyone at (the Eels) and it would take a massive deal to pull him out of the club,” Orr told NewsCorp.
“Dylan is a different individual, he walks to the beat of his own drum. He's a free spirit and if he went to the open market he'd have a whole stack of clubs chasing him.
“I've had calls from clubs, but I've respected Dylan's request not to worry about contracts until the World Cup is out of the way.”
