The Dolphins, Knights, and Dragons are currently leading the pack in the six-way battle for Dylan Brown, with his current club the Eels also trailing – though his asking price may leave them struggling to match the biggest offers.
Brown has told interested NRL clubs he’s looking for $1.2 million a season to move, which would mean a $300,000 pay rise for the Parramatta five-eighth heading into 2026.
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Should the 24-year-old, who is technically signed with the Eels through to 2031 right now, get what he’s asking it will instantly make him one of the highest-paid players in the league. He would perhaps only be eclipsed by Nathan Cleary and Kalyn Ponga, each of whom commands at least $1.3 million a campaign right now.
The biggest problem the Eels are facing is they already have Mitchell Moses earning around the same.
The Knights similarly may baulk considering Ponga’s blockbuster pay packet. Then again, the Hunter club is in desperate need of halves; Ponga is a gamebreaker, no question, but the team as a whole has faltered several times in a row due to below-par halfbacks and five-eighths.
The Dragons have entered the signing skirmish for similar reasons: Right now, Shane Flanagan is preparing for the 2025 NRL season with Lachlan Ilias and son Kyle as his starting seven and six. While not the worst combo, should he be able to pair Ilias with a proven superstar, things would be looking a lot better for the joint venture’s rebuild.
(The Dragons also have a slight player edge thanks to Clint Gutherson moving there in January.)
The Dolphins are perhaps the most put-together option for Brown. He would pair with halfback Isaiya Katoa for the foreseeable future (both are only in their mid-20s) and Redcliffe certainly has the coin to match his asking price. The biggest question for the Queensland club is whether they want to spend their biggest salary cap slice on a five-eighth.
Brown is a hot commodity no matter what, having already played 123 NRL games.
Since debuting in 2019, he’s slowly been building into an elite half and has already played eight tests for New Zealand. In 2022 he and Moses played pivotal roles in taking Parramatta to the grand final but outside that the Eels have been left wanting for success. The club even barely escaped an ignomious wooden spoon last season.
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Brown has shone while Moses has been injured or away playing State of Origin, but whether he’s worth $1.2M as a chief playmaker is unclear – though if clubs want to pay, who is he to turn them down.
