St George Illawarra fed up at being used by player agents

The Dragons are fed up with being used by NRL player agents. Now they’re on the attack after Nathan Brown’s manager tried to use them as contract bait.

Angry at being used as what they describe as contract bait by NRL player managers, St George Illawarra has contacted Parramatta to deny any interest in Eels and NSW forward Nathan Brown.

At the heart of the dispute is a claim that Brown’s management overstated the level of interest in their player.

In an effort to push Parramatta into an increased offer, Brown’s agents reportedly told the Eels that the Dragons were interested in their star player.

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The Dragons found out and took the unusual step of immediately contacting Parramatta management to repudiate any interest with Brown, who comes off contract at the Eels after this season.

Privately, St George Illawarra is tired of NRL agents falsely claiming the Dragons are interested in off-contact players to drive up the asking price at their existing club.

The Dragons have now made a stand.

Brown is managed by accredited NRL agent Jonathan Wehbe, the nephew of Joe Wehbe, known throughout rugby league as the ‘football whisperer’.

Another layer of intrigue comes with former Parramatta recruitment officer, Anthony Field, now working for Wehbe.

Parramatta’s Nathan Brown. (Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)

Parramatta has also been told there are three rivals NRL clubs also chasing Brown.

Yet multiple phone calls and emails from The Daily Telegraph failed to identify those supposed suitors.

Well-positioned sources revealed Brown is currently earning around $620,000-a-season with his management seeking to have that figure inflated to $700,000 annually in a new contract.

Wehbe is understood to be asking for a lengthy four-year deal which would total $2.8 million.

Insiders close to Parramatta suggest the club believes Brown is worth around $600,000-a-year and prefer a three-season contract.

That means Parramatta is willing shell out around $1.8 million – a gap of $1 million.

The Daily Telegraph has been told Parramatta has yet to lodge a formal offer with Wehbe.

Nathan Brown wants a four-year deal to stay at Parramatta. Picture: Mark Kolbe/Getty

While he is a current NSW State of Origin player, Brown has endured issues in recent seasons with discipline and injury.

Although the money difference is considerable, both parties continue working towards a financial solution.

Raw and aggressive, Brown, 27, wants to remain at Parramatta after this season. If rival clubs are chasing Brown, each is keeping their interest quiet and secret.

In a remarkable 2020 season, Brown averaged 158 running metres each game and completed 37 tackles a match.

He told NRL.com this week: “I‘d like to stay at Parra. Everything happens for a reason. I’ll just play good footy. Hopefully I stay, but we’ll see what happens.”