Attracting the interest of at least five NRL teams, a surprising frontrunner has reportedly emerged to sign Parramatta Eels five-eighth Dylan Brown for the 2026 NRL season.
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.
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Although the Newcastle Knights and St George Illawarra Dragons remain in the hunt, the Sydney Roosters have emerged as the surprising frontrunner to secure his signature as he prepares to formally meet with interested parties from Monday, per The Courier-Mail.
However, the Eels quietly remain confident that he will stay on their books on a deal worth around $900,000 a season.
Still, it is believed that he is seeking up to $1.2 million which would make him one of the competition's highest-paid players alongside 2023 Dally M medallist Kalyn Ponga and four-time premiership winner Nathan Cleary.
The update on Brown's situation comes as The Dolphins seemingly shut down links to the New Zealand international earlier in the week.
"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."
A potential switch to Sydney's east would see the Roosters become one of the top premiership favourites for 2026 after they already confirmed the signing of NSW Blues hooker Reece Robson from the North Queensland Cowboys and have also been linked to Brisbane Broncos duo Kotoni Staggs and Sewlyn Cobbo.
The club have a ton of free space available in their salary cap due to the departures of Joseph Suaalii (rugby union), Joseph Manu (rugby union), Jared Waerea-Hargreaves (Hull KR), Luke Keary (Catalans Dragons), Sitili Tupouniua (Bulldogs) and Terrell May (Tigers).
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โThere's no doubt Dylan is a guy in demand,โ former NRL player turned analyst Scott Sattler said on SEN Radio.
โThere 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.
โIt's not ideal for Jason Ryles, but the contract clause is there for Dylan and he has the ability to explore his options.
โI wouldn't rush if I was Dylan. He has the opening rounds of the season to show what he can do.
โHe'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.
โI suspect Dylan is destined for a massive season and it would be a shame if he walked out on the Eels.โ
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.
โIf any club is a threat, it has to be the Roosters,โ Sattler added.
โThey are a glamour club and they need halves after losing Luke Keary and Sam Walker won't be back until later this year.
โThe Roosters are the obvious target every time a player comes off-contract. They always seem to be thrown into the mix, but in this instance they are a legitimate option because of the amount of players they have lost.
โThe Dolphins also need a playmaker to complement Isaiya Katoa, so several clubs will entertain the idea of signing Dylan, but can they afford $1 million-plus ... I'm not sure.โ
