A claim by Dylan Brown that his $13 million contract with the Newcastle Knights contains no get-out clauses has been refuted, with rumours emerging that both Brown and the club have exit options in the final two years of the deal.
Brown told SMH that unlike his previous contract with the Eels, which included a clause allowing him to leave six years early to sign with a rival club from 2026, his new deal with Newcastle had no such conditions.
Journalist Andrew Webster contradicted Brown's assertion while speaking on NRL360, stating that there are indeed get-out clauses. In fairness to both parties, Webster didn't cite his source or provide any irrefutable evidence to support the claim.
"There's been reports over the last 24 hours that Dylan Brown has no get-out clause during the entirety of the ten-year deal but I've been told that's not right," Webster said with confidence.
"They actually both have get-out clauses for the last two years of the ten-year deal which will probably sit better with the Knights' old boy network who I'm told aren't happy with this deal but they are too classy to say anything publicly.
"There are clauses, but Dylan Brown said in an interview that there's no clauses in it, but clearly Dylan Brown doesn't know his own deal because apparently there is and there are also clauses in the Knights' favour in the last two years."
Brown's record-breaking contract has been a major talking point, with many fans, pundits and former players questioning whether the Knights have overpaid for the playmaker.
His form over the opening rounds of the season for the struggling Eels has only increased scrutiny of the signing.
Since news of Brown's departure from Parramatta broke, Newcastle officials have publicly insisted they have no regrets about securing him.
Webster continued, suggesting the club is uneasy about the magnitude of the deal.
"I find they're very edgy when talking about it. They're very sensitive to any sort of criticism about it or any discussion about it really," he said.
