NRL 2024 market watch: Best confirms he’ll stay at Knights, Dragons prepare $1m deal for Tyrell Sloan

There are details still to be finalised, but Bradman Best has told his Newcastle Knights teammates that he’ll be staying in the Steel City for 2024 and beyond.

Bradman Best. Picture: Brett Hemmings/Getty Images

It was the roar which thundered through the Hunter.

Newcastle centre Bradman Best told teammates on Friday that he had finally agreed to a new deal to remain long-term at the Knights.

Best will play 2024 under his existing contract before the new deal takes him through until the end of 2027.

This masthead understands Best’s three-year contract is worth around $2.1m.

Best wanted to tell his teammates personally, news which was greeted with almighty excitement.

One player said the noise from teammates was “massive”.

Bradman Best. Picture: NRL Photos

Fine print details of the contract still need to be finalised before the contract can be registered and then formally announced.

The NSW centre had been courted by Wests Tigers with several other clubs also expressing an interest.

Wests Tigers – who offered as much as $800,000 a year - eventually withdrew their offer (see below).

Best never really wanted to leave Newcastle although negotiations did drag on for around four months.

He gave an indication around his future last November by saying: “I want to stay here. If it all works out as we plan, I’ll be staying at the Knights. We’ll see what happens but I’m really settled here.

Bradman Best was impressive in his Origin debut. Picture: NRL Photos/Gregg Porteous

“I love the club and I love the culture we have built. The boys here are all so connected and we are a close bunch, so to walk away from that would be really hard.

“The lifestyle here is second-to-none. We’re in talks now and my manager is sorting things out.”

At just 22 years old, Best is primed to be one of the NRL’s finest and most powerful centres. He scored 13 tries in 25 games last year.

He was named for NSW in game three of last year’s series and scored two tries in an epic debut.

Best’s try scoring double enabled NSW to win 24-10 and avoid a series clean sweep.

He became the second youngest player to debut for the Knights in round 23, 2019.

Best has played six seasons for the Knights.

Newcastle plays Canberra in round one on March 7.

DRAGONS’ $1M PITCH TO LOCK IN RISING FULLBACK

- David Riccio

St George-Illawarra are poised to commence a $1 million-plus pitch to keep rising star Tyrell Sloan - the greatest indication yet that coach Shane Flanagan believes the 21-year-old can become the club’s long-term fullback.

The Dragons are intending to launch negotiations with Sloan and his management next week, additional acknowledgment by the Red V that they are eager to retain the exciting talent before a ball is kicked ahead of the 2024 season.

Sloan is one of 14 players off-contract at the Saints this season.

The club has already begun talks to re-sign hard-running backrower Jayd’n Sua and the commencement of negotiations with Sloan’s management team from SFX Sports Group illustrates the club’s ambition to begin working through their off-contract list.

It’s anticipated the Dragons will table a multi-year offer of around $500,000 per season for Sloan.

By comparison, a player of similar style, potential and age is Wests Tigers fullback Jahream Bula, who recently put pen to paper on a deal worth around $600,000 a season.

St George Illawarra is preparing deals for Tyrell Sloan (L) and Jaydn Su'A (R). Picture: Matt King/Getty Images

After a stop-start beginning to his NRL career, including being dropped back to the NSW Cup in 2022, the Dragons have persisted with the electric fullback, to be at a point where they are willing to back him to remain at the back long-term.

Producing 23 try and line break assists and 22 offloads last season, Sloan has impressed the Dragons coaching staff with his willingness to develop throughout the current pre-season.

The 36-gamer had begun the pre-season under an injury cloud after suffering an ankle injury during the Koori Knockout last October.

Upon his appointment as head coach late last year, Flanagan made no secret of his desire to help evolve Sloan as a footballer, particularly his physicality in defence.

A candid and refreshingly honest Sloan told this masthead last December his defence needed to improve if he wanted to be a consistent NRL fullback.

New Dragons coach Shane Flanagan. Picture: Julian Andrews

“I do lack there. I do save tries too though. There’s moments where I’m good and there’s moments where I’m bad,’’ Sloan said.

“You are your own worst critic and sometimes I come out of a tackle feeling for myself.

“And not just myself, but letting my team down.

“That’s the main focus that, you know, I want to be that person that, if there’s a line break, I can be depended on to make that tackle.”

Sloan has overcome his injury to be back training with the starting 17 of the Dragons. Although Zac Lomax and Jack Bird have also trained at fullback during periods of the pre-season, Sloan will be given first shot to hold down the position.

Sloan and the Dragons will head to Terrigal for a pre-season training camp on Tuesday before lining up for a scrimmage hitout against Manly at Narrabeen next Friday.

KNIGHTS’ PREPARE $2M BEST DEAL

- David Riccio

Newcastle are in the box seat to re-sign Bradman Best on a $2 million deal with the Wests Tigers pulling out interest in the star centre.

Without a contract with the Knights beyond 2024, Best had attracted the Wests Tigers’ interest following a breakout 2023 season that culminated in his NSW State of Origin selection.

The 22-year-old scored a two-try double in a dream debut for the Blues in Origin III.

Largely via former head of recruitment Scott Fulton, the Wests Tigers had been weighing-up making Best one of the highest-paid centres in the game with a deal worth $800,000 a season.

However, this masthead understands that rookie Wests Tigers coach Marshall is focused on working with his current bank of established and emerging centres including Justin Olam, Starford Toa, Brent Naden, Asu Kepaoa, Josh Feledy, Solomona Faataape and Solomone Saukuru.

The Knights have made Best a major offer that will catapult him into the top echelon of highest-paid centres with a three-year deal believed to be worth around $700,000 a season.

Knights star Bradman Best is set to become one of the highest paid centres in the NRL. Picture: Grant Trouville/NRL

The rich deal is of major significance and investment by the Knights when compared to dynamic Roosters centre/fullback Joey Manu, who according to the 2023 NRL Rich 100, was on a deal worth $820,000 last season.

Knights coach Adam O’Brien is a huge supporter of Best and is of the belief the rising star is yet to reach his full potential.

Best became the second youngest player to debut for the Knights back in Round 23 of 2019 and has spent six seasons in the red and blue jumper.