$11 million dilemma: Three clubs in the race for Dylan Brown

He is seeking up to $1.2 million a season.

Three NRL teams have reportedly discussed offering Parramatta Eels five-eighth and New Zealand international Dylan Brown a contract worth $11 million for ten years to lure him out of the Eels.

One of the hottest properties to hit the open market alongside the likes of Adam Reynolds, Cody Walker, Daly Cherry-Evans and Te Maire Martin, Brown’s future has been clouded in uncertainty over the past month.

This comes after he was offered to all 16 rival NRL teams and Rugby Australia and could decide to opt out of his current deal with the Eels at the end of the season due to a player-option clause in his contract.

While there is a high possibility that he could remain put at Parramatta, the five-eighth has become one of the most in-demand players and is currently in the middle of a five-way race for his services.

According to News Corp, three NRL teams have discussed offering Brown a ten-year contract worth around $11 million to lure him away from the Parramatta Eels.

While these teams have yet to be named, it is highly likely that two of them are the Newcastle Knights and St George Illawarra Dragons after they have previously expressed an interest in his services.

However, the Eels quietly remain confident that he will stay on their books on a deal worth around $900,000 a season.

The update on Brown’s situation comes as The Dolphins seemingly shut down links to the New Zealand international.

“If there is a player available it seems the Dolphins are going to sign them. I don’t know if we have a different salary cap to everyone else,” Dolphins CEO Terry Reader told AAP.

“Dylan Brown is contracted to Parramatta for seven years on a salary over $1 million and I can’t see him leaving Parramatta. We’ve had no formal chats with him.”

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The Sydney Roosters also shut down links to Brown through their Chairman, Nick Politis.

“We are not interested,” Politis bluntly told News Corp.

“Whenever a big-name player comes off contract he is linked to us. It’s managers just trying to create interest.”

An eight-time international for the New Zealand Kiwis, Brown has amassed 123 first-grade appearances for the Eels since his debut in Round 1 of the 2019 season and formed a formidable partnership with Mitchell Moses, which helped lead the Eels to the 2022 NRL Grand Final.

It is understood that if he agrees to stay with Paramatta, he has another get-out clause in his contract for the 2027 NRL season.

“There’s no doubt Dylan is a guy in demand,” former NRL player turned analyst Scott Sattler said on SEN Radio.

“There was a push for the club to sack him, but the Eels stood by him and I think that will be remembered by Dylan and his management.

“It’s not ideal for Jason Ryles, but the contract clause is there for Dylan and he has the ability to explore his options.

“I wouldn’t rush if I was Dylan. He has the opening rounds of the season to show what he can do.

“He’s on a big contract at the Eels and he has the clause in his contract in two years time to test the market. I hope he repays the faith of the Eels.

“I suspect Dylan is destined for a massive season and it would be a shame if he walked out on the Eels.”