His future is far from confirmed, but reports have emerged that the Melbourne Storm are already lining up a replacement for five-eighth Cameron Munster as suggestions ramp up that he will leave the club when his contract finishes at the end of next year.
With the Dolphins and Tigers the most vocal about their prospects of securing Munsterโs services, the Sydney Morning Herald reports that the Storm are eyeing young Parramatta Eels No.6 Dylan Brown as a replacement, should Munster leave.
Like Munster, Brown is free to entertain offers from other clubs come November 1, with his contract at the Eels ending at the end of 2023. The 22-year-old has already claimed he wonโt be making any decision on his playing future until after the World Cup, with the hope that some strong performances could elevate his asking price in a contract year.
With Munster expected to inform the Storm of his intentions in the next two weeks, the dominos could fall quickly should he officially decide to head elsewhere.
When asked about the interest from Melbourne, the 22-year-old Eel offered a light-hearted response.
โMelbourne? There are no beaches there,โ Brown joked.
โI have no clue what I want to do, to be honest. I donโt think about my contract until Iโm asked. Weโll see.โ
Despite the flattering interest, Brown is fully focused on improving his contribution to the Eels attack after a disappointing game against Penrith.
โI was below average. If five is average, I was a four. It wasnโt that I did anything wrong, I just didnโt do enough. As a five-eighth in a finals series, you need to create for your team.
โIโm lucky we get another chance.
โOur spine wasnโt heavily involved against Penrith. We shied away from the game. I didnโt take my opportunities when I could.โ