Brown and out
They once tabled Dylan Brown a contract that would have made him the richest man yet to play in the NRL, but the Warriors have decided not to have another crack at the Parramatta star.
Brown has until round 10 to decide whether to stay or leave Parramatta via a controversial contract clause. The Kiwi international’s management is seeking expressions of interest for his services, with Newcastle contemplating whether to blow the blue and golds out of the water with a long and lucrative offer.
Parramatta’s Dylan Brown on the attack against Newcastle. The Warriors have ruled out an offer for the Kiwi international.Credit:Getty Images
Brown was born in Auckland and the retirement of Shaun Johnson has prompted speculation the Warriors could again be in the mix for his services. However, the trans-Tasman outfit has opted not to get involved in a bidding war.
“With all due respect to Dylan, our club is really excited about Luke Metcalf and Chanel [Harris-Tavita],” Warriors chief executive Cameron George said.
“We’ve got Tanah Boyd and we’ve got Te Maire Martin all shooting for the halves, and we’ve got some good young kids sitting in behind them.
“We’ve never looked any further than those guys and that’s where we sit. From a Warriors perspective, we’re definitely not in either discussions or negotiations with Dylan Brown or his management.”
In 2019, the Warriors tabled Brown a long-term deal worth almost $3 million. It was a mammoth amount for a teenager who had at that stage not even played a single NRL game. On that occasion, the Warriors subsequently found out Brown had already committed to Parramatta, so neither party was able to follow through with the offer.
“I remember back in the day when ‘Sully’ [former recruiter Peter O’Sullivan] and Brian Smith were here, they spotted Dylan playing [junior football] – he was of interest back in about 2019,” George said.
“That’s certainly not the case now. No disrespect to Dylan, but we’re backing who we’ve got and what lies ahead with those kids.”
The Eels have been heavily criticised for allowing player options in contracts – Mitchell Moses and Will Penisini have them in their deals – and have vowed to cease the practice.
Trial and error
Which high-profile club boss apologised to a staff member after he berated him on the field following a trial game on the weekend?
The club boss thought the trainer was ignoring him and jumped the fence to voice his frustrations in front of shocked players and staff from both teams. The trainer explained he couldn’t hear him, prompting an apology from his boss.
Penrith star Isaah Yeo and Canberra counterpart Joseph Tapine at the Golden Knights game.Credit:NRL Photos
NRL put on ice
Rugby league isn’t the only sport in town. Local NHL outfit Vegas Golden Knights hosted the Vancouver Canucks at T-Mobile Arena overnight, drawing a large crowd that included the three NRL teams already in Sin City.
Penrith star Isaah Yeo and Canberra counterpart Joseph Tapine were presented to the fans and were involved in a passing competition. The Panthers, Raiders and Warriors took in the action, while the Los Angeles-based Sharks also attended an NHL game at the Crypto Arena.
Goodrem and the NRL had been in discussions for the Aussie to star in the season opener in Nevada.
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