Moses’ $4m call as Eels bank on Brown’s loyalty in ‘flexible’ eight-year deal
Updated December 19, 2022 — 5.50pmfirst published at 9.29am
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KEY POINTS
- Brown’s eight-year Eels extension contains multiple options in his favour
- Parramatta has tabled a four-year deal to halves partner Mitchell Moses
- Will Penisini is also a retention priority with an offer tabled
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Parramatta insist the club has the salary cap space to retain Mitchell Moses with circling rivals expected to ramp up their pursuit of the star halfback after teammate Dylan Brown inked potentially the longest deal in Eels history.
Brown’s hope is that Moses joins him in spurning rival interest to re-sign at Parramatta, having signed his own upgraded deal until the end of 2031 that includes staggered options in the 22-year-old’s favour.
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Parramatta five-eighth Dylan Brown has put pen to paper on an odd contract with the Eels.
Spread over eight years in total, Brown’s extension commits him to the Eels until the end of 2025, with a player option for 2026 and another then available in 2028.
If those options are taken up, Brown’s deal will keep him in blue and gold until the end of 2031 and go a long way to ensuring he is a one-club player.
Brown’s retention is critical for Parramatta given his breakout year en route to this year’s grand final and comes with Moses still mulling his future, the Eels having already tabled a four-year offer worth around $4 million.
Brown flew to New Zealand on Monday but told the
Herald about his hopes for Moses to also ink an extension: “Mitch is a very important part of our team, I hope he stays, but I support his decision whatever it is.
Dylan Brown has secured his future with Parramatta.CREDIT:GETTY
“I know my football is still evolving, and I feel our combination is getting better each game we play together. Let’s get it for 2023.”
Wests Tigers and Canterbury have led rival interest in Moses, with returning Tigers coach Tim Sheens meeting with the 28-year-old while both were in the UK for the World Cup.
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Both clubs have spending capacity beyond Parramatta’s, as do the Dolphins with well over $1 million a year set aside for a marquee signing – Brown now joining a long list of players the expansion club has missed out on.
Eels CEO Jim Sarantinos said there was no deadline on the club’s offer to Moses or danger of Brown’s new deal tipping his halves partner out of the club, despite rival clubs anticipating exactly that.
Mitchell Moses’ career-best form in 2022 has him in high-demand.CREDIT:GETTY
“Keeping Dylan doesn’t have anything to do with the offer we have for Mitch, not from our perspective,” Sarantinos told the
Herald.
“Mitch and Dylan have both been priorities for us and that remains the case. Our desire is for Mitch to stay, we’ve made that very clear to him and his manager and hopefully he does stay.”
Talks with rising centre Will Penisini, who coach Brad Arthur described as “someone the club wants to build around”, also continue after Parramatta tabled what is believed to be a three-year deal.
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Analysis
Penisini and Brown have been in the Eels’ system since the age of 14 and 15 respectively and lead a promising next generation of stars in the here and now for the club.
Brown’s priority was always to remain at the Eels and thrash out his long-term future – including negotiating multiple player options – once his World Cup campaign was finished.
“I feel we identified where I wanted to play and what the market was and worked positively with the club to secure my future without messing anyone around,” Brown said.
Sarantinos believes the Eels’ flexibility with his contract will be repaid by the Kiwi star in years to come.
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“Dylan’s obviously going to have a long career in footy and we want him to be an Eel for life,” Sarantinos said.
“But at the same time we recognise that he’s a young man, there’s a long journey for us to go through.
“We’ll do everything we can and should do to ensure that Dylan plays out his career here. We’re confident that by providing that flexibility we’re putting him in an environment where all he will ever do is commit his future to the Eels.”
Eels star Dylan Brown has knocked back rival interest to sign an eight-year extension with Parramatta.
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