The aftermath of the NRL's richest deal in history continues, as Adam O'Brien breaks his silence on the controversial signing that will send Dylan Brown to the Newcastle Knights for the next decade.

O'Brien was criticised after refusing to discuss the deal on Wednesday with media, and has since opened up on the signing as well as his reasoning behind his silence.

"I know I was copping a little bit for not talking about Dylan Brown, but my number one job yesterday was not to talk about next year when these guys were 24 hours away from playing," he conceded during his post-match press conference.

The Knights coach acknowledged that his actions may have been received poorly, apologising for his guarded behaviour.

"I apologise if the media felt disrespected. I know it is your job to report on news and it is newsworthy. I get it, but what might have come across as disrespectful was coming from a place of respect."

He went on to say that he wanted to "[respect] a process of a 10-day cooling off period."

NRL Rd 27 - Tigers v Eels
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - SEPTEMBER 06: Dylan Brown of the Eels warms up prior to the round 27 NRL match between Wests Tigers and Parramatta Eels at Campbelltown Stadium, on September 06, 2024, in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Jeremy Ng/Getty Images)

"The last thing Parramatta wanted me doing during that period was talking about how we were going to play their player. There will be a point in time we need to talk about Dylan but yesterday wasn't that day."

O'Brien then confirmed that the 10-day cooling period has since been waived, which is why he is "happy to talk a bit more about it now."

He also discussed the implications that discussing the deal prematurely may have on Knights fans, a fanbase that O'Brien intends to put first.

"I know the red and blue army was mentioned and how they have a right to know," he said.

"I know them pretty well. They'd be real disappointed in me if I was talking about next year when we had a game tonight.

"They have been through all that stuff before and don't want to hear about rebuilds. They want to win now. So do we."

The coach admitted he "probably didn't handle it well by straight-batting it," but double-downed on the idea that his focus must be on the Knights' 2025 season.

Brown will make his way to Newcastle in 2026, the first year of a decade-long tenure.