NRL 2022: Dylan Brown, Mitchell Moses star as Eels crush Bulldogs

Dylan Brown showed his class and the benefit of having Mitchell Moses by his side in the halves as the Eels carved up the Bulldogs at CommBank Stadium.

The Eels celebrate Will Penisini try against the Bulldogs. Picture: Matt Blyth/Getty Images

Dylan Brown is now an international player, and in his own words needs to play like one at club level, as he did on Saturday against the Bulldogs.

His stats sheet got tired as Parramatta ran away with a 42-6 win at CommBank Stadium. Brown was soccering balls through for tries, cutting out two men to find his winger or turning on the afterburners to leave opponents in his wake.

Brown tripled his try assists and tackle breaks, doubled up on tries and line-break assists, picking his moments when to run and kick with his partner in crime Mitch Moses by his side, back from injury.

Class worthy of his New Zealand debut that came in Auckland against Tonga during late June.

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Dylan Brown was outstanding against the Bulldogs.

“I’m classed as an International player now, so I need to play like one,” Brown said following the win. “It’s a privilege to be in that jersey and I’ve got to hold myself (to that standard) … I’ve got to play well to be re-selected as well.

“There’s a lot of halves (that) can play for the Kiwis, so I’ve got to keep playing my best footy. It’s more of a responsibility now.”

Brown has become hot property across the NRL beyond 2023, when his current contract ends with Parramatta given current form. For example, he has more try assists this season than any other in his four years at the Eels with 17 in total.

And by some distance. His previous best was five in 2019 and 2020.

“I feel like I’m playing much better footy this year, in comparison to last year. I’ve said that before. It’s just a consistency thing,” Brown said. “Playing some good games, not so good others.”

Mitchell Moses had a big impact on his return from a finger injury. Picture: Matt Blyth/Getty Images

Following the trend of his team which perhaps may be turning the tide with three wins from their last four. The blip being a 26-0 drubbing by Souths at the same venue as Saturday’s turnaround.

The second half soccer from a Moses’ grubber was evidence of Brown’s gifted skill that racks up the stats. Or at least that’s how it appeared.

“They’re really lucky,” Brown said. “If I kicked that and it goes dead, it would be the other way round.”

Not even a junior soccer background could explain what looked like more than luck to the untrained eye. For the remainder of the performance, there can be no doubt.

Brown was international class.

Moses looked unimpeded in his timely return wearing a protective guard on the broken middle finger that sidelined him for a few weeks.

Moses did not need his finger, though, with his right boot back on point whether converting or kicking downfield. Like Brown, he was all over the field with a covering tackle on Bulldogs star Matt Burton in the dying stages.

When asked whether Moses and Brown can take that type of form into big games, Eels coach Brad Arthur’s response was definite.

“I think they’ve shown that we can do it in the big games, it’s if they want to do it,” Arthur said. “We’ve shown we can do it in the big games ... it’s about finding that desire to do it all the time.

“I thought we maintained the physicality for the 80 minutes. Hard to do, but I felt like we did it. The (six points impressed me) because I felt like they’ve been attacking really well and they’ve got not a lot to play for in terms of risk-reward and they can throw a lot at you. We wanted to defend well, be physical and our effort was through the roof.”

Ryan Matterson busts open the Bulldogs’ defence. Picture: Matt Blyth/Getty Images

Parramatta’s right side caught Josh Addo-Carr napping twice early in the first half to hand the Eels a 12-2 lead.

Canterbury got back into the contest before half-time through Aaron Schoupp before Brown’s brilliance made it 16-6. That was the last points the blue and whites scored.

Cameron Ciraldo’s arrival in 2023 cannot come quick enough.

“We were just impatient with the ball,” Bulldogs interim coach Mick Potter said.

With Brisbane and Melbourne to finish the season, and their halves in red-hot form, Parramatta now have a chance to prove that 36-year premiership drought may be a chance of being broken.

“They play that style of footy, they’ll trouble a lot of teams,” Bulldogs captain Josh Jackson said of the Eels’ finals potential.

Originally published as NRL 2022: Dylan Brown, Mitchell Moses star as Eels crush Bulldogs