Dolphins launch million-dollar bid for Eels star Dylan Brown
The Dolphins have reportedly entered the race for the signature of New Zealand five-eighth Dylan Brown by tabling a $1 million deal for the superstar to leave Parramatta at the end of 2023.
Brown, 22, came through the Eels junior pathways after a move from New Zealand at a young age, to be one of the key players in the side that went all the way to the 2022 NRL Grand Final.
Since his first-grade debut for the Eels in 2019, Brown has grown with every match at the top level, to the point where Dolphins head coach Wayne Bennett sees Brown as the NRL’s next million-dollar man.
Brown appears one of the ideal targets for the Dolphins’ next big signing, combining elite talent on the field with no known issues off it.
Brown is one of the best defensive halves in the NRL, to go with a strong kicking game, powerful running, tries, and try assists.
Brown would be joining Kiwi teammates Jesse and Kenny Bromwich and Jeremy Marshall-King along with emerging half Isaiya Katoa, who was key to Penrith’s success in junior and reserve grades before having a standout Rugby League World Cup for Tonga.
Given Brown’s youth and scope for improvement, the Dolphins are reportedly prepared to offer a long-term deal for the young half — a level of stability the Eels may struggle to match.
The head of recruitment for the Dolphins, Peter O’Sullivan, has previously tried to entice Brown out of Parramatta.
While working for the Warriors, O’Sullivan offered a multi-year, multimillion-dollar deal to Brown before he had made his first-grade debut.
