Dylan Brown is testing the market. But another star Eel has seen enough to stay
Parramatta might still be waiting on tenterhooks while Dylan Brown decides his future, but Will Penisini has seen enough of the new Eels era to take up his player option and look to commit to the club beyond his current contract.
Like Brown, whose contract saga has dominated the headlines leading up to Jason Ryles’ debut as an NRL coach, Penisini is a free agent with an option in his favour for 2026.
The 22-year-old has long been highly regarded at Parramatta, to the point previous coach Brad Arthur described him as “someone the club wants to build around”.
When asked last year about his looming player option, Penisini said he wanted to first see what life looked like under Ryles – and the rookie mentor has made a lasting impression on the Eels junior.
“I want to stay here and I’ve been talking to Rylesy about it,” Penisini told this masthead. “We’ve spoken about my future, not too much, but hopefully the club and my management can sort something out longer term.
“He’s a great guy, Jase, we’ve struck up a good relationship and he’s got strong relationships with most of the squad already.
“It’s been a great vibe. A lot of the coaches are ex-players, so it feels like they know how we’re travelling. And there’s been a lot of ex-players involved, too. We’ve got our new [centre of excellence] facilities out there at our training set-up and it’s all feeling good.
“I can’t wait to play footy this year and if I’m playing well, then that contract stuff will sort itself out.”
Penisini’s rugby union pedigree has previously had him mentioned as a potential cross-code target following good mate Joseph Suaalii’s $4.8 million move to the 15-man game, but he sees his immediate future at Parramatta.
The Eels, meanwhile, have refused to budge on their offer to Brown, whose management has sought an upgrade to remove the first get-out clause in his lucrative deal, worth around $900,000 a year.
Newcastle are one of several clubs monitoring Brown’s contract situation with interest given the uncertainty at their scrumbase and ability to offer a long-term, seven-figure salary from 2026.
An asking price as high as $1.2 million has been touted by Brown’s management.
While Parramatta have been in talks with Brown to remove the two contract options in his original eight-year contract, the club has held similar negotiations with captain Mitch Moses, offering an additional year’s extension if his get-out clauses are removed.
Eels CEO Jim Sarantinos told this masthead last year that the club will look to limit contracts with player options given the headaches they often cause.
No club has more players with options in their contracts than the seven on Parramatta’s books – led by Brown, Moses, Penisini and Ryan Matterson (player options), Shaun Lane and Saxon Pryke (mutual options) and Josh Addo-Carr (club option).
