Newcastle chief executive Philip Gardner has confirmed that a 10-year contract offer for Dylan Brown is a risk the Knights are willing to take, although he admits they are still at best an “outside chance” of signing the Parramatta playmaker.

Brown is the NRL’s hottest free agent as he considers activating a get-out clause in his long-term deal with the Eels. The Kiwi international has until round 10 to decide whether he will leave Parramatta at the end of the season.

Newcastle confirms huge offer to poach Eels star

The Knights have confirmed they have tabled a massive 10-year deal in the pursuit of a marquee playmaker

Newcastle Knights CEO Philip Gardner has confirmed the club’s pursuit of Dylan Brown, revealing they are prepared to offer the star five-eighth a 10-year contract in an effort to lure him away from Parramatta.

While acknowledging the challenge of prying Brown from the Eels, Gardner insists the Knights are doing everything possible to secure his services.

“We think Dylan, or someone like Dylan, is the missing piece for us,” Gardner said, speaking with SMH.

“We have great confidence in Fletcher Sharpe’s progression, and we’re very confident with what we’ve got in Coggs [Jack Cogger] and Tyson Gamble for this season. But certainly, you want those great players to come to the club, and we see Dylan Brown as a great player.”

The offer would see Brown join an elite group of NRL players on decade-long deals, with Jason Taumalolo (Cowboys) and Tino Fa’asuamaleaui (Titans) the only others to sign such lengthy contracts.

The Knights see Brown as a long-term investment, with Gardner confident the 23-year-old could help transform Newcastle from a top-eight side into a genuine premiership contender.

A key factor in Brown’s future is the get-out clause in his Parramatta contract, which allows him until Round 10 to decide whether to leave the club at the end of 2025.

While the Eels remain confident of retaining him, the Knights have put forward a significant financial package, reportedly worth around $1.2 million per year.

“We’ll have to compete with his contract with Parramatta. He’s currently on a six-year contract with Parramatta. He’s not going to come for less certainty, that’s for sure,” Gardner said.

“We’re not ruling it [a 10-year contract] out. At his age, something beyond six years is a realistic option.”

Despite being over the salary cap in previous seasons, Gardner insists Newcastle has the financial flexibility to make the deal work.

The club has several players coming off contract, including Jackson Hastings, Jayden Brailey, Adam Elliott and Jack Hetherington, freeing up space for a marquee signing.

“We’ve got enough. We would never sign a player if we haven’t got enough cap space. They’ve got to show me a spreadsheet that shows me exactly where the cap sits before I’ll sign anything,” Gardner said.

“So the offer that we’ve made to Dylan Brown is within our cap capacity.

“My belief is that we’re an outsider in this. I think certainly he has a connection to Parramatta. They’ve treated him very well, and he has a family association there,” he said.

“But we’ve certainly given him a lot of reasons to want to come to us. And if he comes here, he gets to play with KP, he gets to play with Fletcher Sharpe, and he comes to an area where he doesn’t have to be second fiddle.”