Dolphins rule out signing Eels star Dylan Brown, close in on securing St Helens star Morgan Knowles
A Queensland club has emerged as the first to rule out a pursuit of signing Dylan Brown after revelations of his mega asking price, instead closing in on the signature of a Super League star.
The Dolphins have ruled out signing Parramatta pivot Dylan Brown as Redcliffe coach Kristian Woolf closes in on the signature of St Helens star Morgan Knowles.
This masthead understands the Dolphins are in the advanced stages of negotiations with Knowles and will win the battle over Saints to convince the British Test forward to test himself in the NRL.
The British World Cup forward is on the verge of quitting St Helens by inking a two or three-year deal to join the Dolphins until 2027-28.
Woolf, Wayne Bennett’s coaching successor at the Dolphins, mentored Knowles for three seasons at St Helens between 2020-22 and is a key figure in Redcliffe’s Super League poaching raid.
St Helens are fighting desperately to keep Knowles in the UK but the 28-year-old is set to become the latest English forward to have a crack at succeeding in the NRL.
The Dolphins believe they have got their man, with Woolf believing Knowles can add another edge to Redcliffe’s pack with his tough and uncompromising style.
A 10-year veteran at St Helens, the four-time premiership winner has amassed 219 Super League games and will be a handy addition to a Dolphins pack containing Tom Gilbert, Max Plath, Tom Flegler and Daniel Saifiti.
The Knowles development has ramifications for Parramatta playmaker Brown, with the Dolphins having no interest in entering a bidding war for the Kiwi Test matchwinner.
The Dolphins had some interest in Brown but Redcliffe bosses cannot afford Brown’s $1.2 million-a-season asking price.
Dolphins recruitment chiefs have also baulked at a push for Brown to a sign a 10-year contract, with at least one NRL rival, Newcastle, understood to be open to a long-term deal for the 24-year-old.
Woolf is happy with 21-year-old Isaiya Katoa and believes the Tongan Test young gun can call the shots at the Dolphins’ scrumbase for the next decade.
The Dolphins also have a number of promising young playmakers coming through the ranks and their interest in Brown cooled following revelations the Eels pivot has discussed a 1-year, $11 million deal.
Brown signed a long-term extension with Parramatta that carried through until the end of 2031, albeit with a series of clauses that allow him to explore the market.
His management has been doing the rounds in recent weeks to gauge interest and sources close to Brown have indicated that a number of clubs have expressed an interest in the Eels playmaker, dangling a contract carrot that would make him one of the highest-paid players in the game.
The Dolphins are more interested in bolstering their forward stocks and the impending signing of Knowles will aid the depth of Queensland’s fourth NRL club.
The Cumbria product is capable of playing back row or lock and gives Woolf forward flexibility amid fears the Dolphins’ chief enforcer, Flegler, may not play again.
The former Broncos grand-final prop had nerve-transfer surgery last November and remains hopeful of a return to the field this season, possibly around June or July.
The addition of Knowles gives the Dolphins pack more options, with Queensland Origin firebrand Gilbert capable of shifting into the middle to accommodate the Englishman at lock in 2026
