Five NRL teams have reportedly confirmed an interest in signing Parramatta Eel Dylan Brown.
Over the past week, the rumour mill has been humming surrounding the future ofย Brown after he was offered to all 16 rival NRL teams and Rugby Australia as he could decide to opt out of his deal with the Eels at the end of the season due to a player-option clause in his contract.
Due to player options in his deal, he could remain with the Eels until the end of the 2031 season, but his current contract expires at the end of this season in what is one of the most unusual contracts in NRL history.
While there is a high chance that he could remain at Parramatta and new coach Jason Ryles is confident that he will stay, the $900,000-a-season five-eighth is one of the most in-demand players in either code.
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After The Dolphins became the first club to express an interest in his services,ย News Corp reports that he has also received interest from the Newcastle Knights, St George Illawarra Dragons and two other unnamed clubs.
It is understood that the superstar playmaker is wanting up to $1.2 million per season to leave his current home.
This would make him one of the competition's highest-paid players alongside 2023 Dally M medallist Kalyn Ponga and four-time premiership winner Nathan Cleary.
All three of the teams listed - the Dolphins, Dragons and Knights - are in desperate need of a superstar playmaker and Brown's arrival could turn them into serious premiership contenders.
A move to Redcliffe would see him team up with young gun Isaiya Katoa in the halves. At the same time, a transfer to the Dragons would solve their halves issues after Ben Hunt exited the team and pair up with either Daniel Atkinson or Lachlan Ilias in 2026.
Finally, after making back-to-back finals, Brown would create a formidable partnership with QLD Maroons superstar Kalyn Ponga if he moved to Newcastle.
While it would see the duo take up nearly $3 million in the club's salary cap, a good playmaker is the missing piece to the Knights's puzzle to winning their first title since 2001 and add to a good team that already includes representative stars Bradman Best, Dane Gagai, Phoenix Crossland and Tyson Frizell.
Mr Brown is on $900K and wants $1.2M
Questions for any club that may be interested in him:
1) How does he compare to Jarome Hughes on $900K or Jarome Luaia on $1.2M ?
2) How much has he contributed to the success of his current team ?
3) How much less would we have to pay for another good half or 5/8 ?
4) Is he a good club-man ?
My answers
1) He is not as good as either
2) What success ? Eels finished 10th in 2023 and 15th in 2024.
3) Well, Dan Atkinson just signed for St George for half the money Brown wants. Atkinson had a breakout 2024, and still has upside.
4) No.
Oh yes…..
5) What will signing him do to our cap ? Who has to go for us to afford him ?
If a club is going to sign any player on that sort of money, the cub has to be _really_ confident that the guy is able to (and motivated to) deliver on and off the pitch.
Dumping some existing players to fit the newbie under the cap will not be popular with the rest of the group.
Unless the new player is an inspiration to the team and the club buying him will be a mistake.