NRL market watch: Nathan Brown set to join Jason Ryles coaching team at Parramatta Eels, Raiders hooker Danny Levi to test open market

Incoming Eels coach Jason Ryles has taken the first major step in his Parramatta rebuild, with a former NRL mentor set to join his coaching team in 2024. See the latest transfer news.

BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA – JUNE 01: Danny Levi of the Raiders passes the ball during the round 13 NRL match between Dolphins and Canberra Raiders at Suncorp Stadium, on June 01, 2024, in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

Jason Ryles has taken the first major step in his Parramatta Eels rebuild program by all-but securing former St George-Illawarra, Newcastle Knights and New Zealand Warriors coach Nathan Brown.

The pair played one season together in the Red V jersey in 2000 and Brown then coached Ryles between 2003 and 2008 when he was head coach at the Dragons.

Brown’s 475 games of head-coaching experience in the NRL and the UK Super League will be invaluable for Ryles as he sets about rebuilding the Eels.

He is expected to sign the deal in the next few days and be in charge of attack.

Nathan Brown is set to join Jason Ryles’ coaching team at Parramatta in 2024. Picture: Phil Hillyard

Brown has also been previously involved at Parramatta. In 2022 he was hired as coaching director of the club’s elite pathways programs.

He was there to oversee the emergence of young guns Blaize Talagi, Matt Arthur, Ethan Sanders and Charlie Guymer.

Brown may have lacked success as an NRL head coach but he is respected around the game for his shrewd tactical nous.

Ryles has also signed Scott Wisemantel, the former attack coach for the Wallabies and the England rugby union teams.

Ryles has moved on the Eels’ acting head coach Trent Barrett, who will be joining the Broncos under Kevin Walters.

The Eels head of high performance, Trent Elkin, is also leaving.

Brown (right) coached Ryles (left) at the Dragons from 2003-2008.

VETERAN RAIDER TO TEST OPEN MARKET

—Michael Carayannis

Representative hooker Danny Levi is the latest big name player free to test the open market.

Canberra has granted Levi permission to speak with rival clubs despite having 12 months left on his deal.

It comes just days after Queensland forward Corey Horsburgh also indicated he wanted out on the club. The Raiders are unlikely to stand in the way of either pair should they find deals elsewhere.

Levi joins the likes of Valentine Holmes, Jack Bird, Shaun Lane, Ryan Matterson, Daniel Saifiti and Maiko Sivo free to move elsewhere in 2025.

While Horsburgh has struggled to find his feet this year after making his Origin debut last year, Levi has been an NRL regular for Canberra.

He has been just one of six players to play every game for the Raiders this year. While Levi has largely started the game at dummy half he has lost the No.9 jersey in recent weeks to Tom Starling.

Starling has again been named to start for the Raiders against Canterbury on Sunday with Levi named on the interchange bench.

The 28-year-old has bounced around clubs in recent season. He made his debut for the Knights in 2015 and went on to play 83 games for the club before joining Manly on a one-year deal in 2020.

He played the next season at Brisbane before having one year with Huddersfield.

Levi joined Canberra last year but his first season at the club was limited to just four appearances as he battled injury including a badly broken jaw.

Starling is contracted until the end of next season while fellow rake Zac Woolford – who has played just one game this year – is off-contract at the end of this year.

Danny Levi has been behind Tom Starling for the starting hooker spot. Picture: NRL Photos

The Raiders have been busy in the market place. They have added three former NSW under-19 players Ethan Sanders (Eels), Myles Martin (Knights) and Savelio Tamale (Dragons).

Elliott Whitehead (Catalans Dragons) and Nick Cotric (Catalans Dragons) will leave the club while the Raiders are hopeful veteran winger Jordan Rapana will stay for at least another 12 months.

Canberra also signed English back-rower Matty Nicholson to a three-year contract.

His Warrington coach Sam Burgess backed Nicholson to star.

“He is a great young player,” Burgess said of the 21-year-old.

“He is a very good athlete. He is fit and covers the ground really well.