Dylan Brown to test value on market after strong start to career

Parramatta wonder boy Dylan Brown has spoken of throwing himself onto the open market at the end of this season, saying: “Every kid wants to be a millionaire”.

Dylan Brown wants to test his value come the end of season. Picture: Brett Costello

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Parramatta wonder boy Dylan Brown has spoken of throwing himself onto the open market at the end of this season, saying: “Every kid wants to be a millionaire”.

Still only 18, Brown has been catapulted into the NRL spotlight after being handed the Eels No. 6 jersey — with his outstanding debut against Penrith drawing praise from no less than Andrew Johns, Brad Fittler and Brett Kenny.

While the Warriors recently tried to lure the Auckland product home with a $3 million deal over six years, the teenager says he and his manager would have rejected the offer — convinced his earning capacity will be higher by the time his current deal is up in 2020.

Dylan Brown wants to test his value come the end of season. Picture: Brett Costello

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This year, Brown is earning the NRL minimum wage of $105,000, up on last year’s $60,000 development deal.

But the kid who once dreamt of representing the All Blacks was given an idea of his potential worth back in February, when the Warriors offered what was hailed the largest deal for any leaguie yet to play first grade.

And while that contract was eventually pulled — given rival clubs are banned from approaching Brown until November 1 this year — the player revealed he and his manager spoke about higher numbers becoming available.

Indeed, while the Eels’ No.6 talked of being comfortable at Parramatta, and suggested family would keep him grounded, he didn't rule out the idea of “going fishing” among NRL rivals at the end of this year.

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Quizzed on his contract, Brown said: “There's been talk all around it.

“But it's week to week really.

“When (the end of) 2019 comes around, you'd rather go fishing if other clubs are interested in me, but you never know.

“At the moment I'm comfortable here at Parramatta.”

And as for his reaction to the Warriors figures?

“As a little kid, you always say ‘I want to be a millionaire’,” Brown laughed. “And when I saw that (offer), I sat down with my manager and had a think about it.

Parramatta's Dylan Brown is congratulated after a try by Michael Jennings. Picture: Brett Costello

“But we knew that if I was to be a good halfback things could be bigger than that.

“I know if I keep working hard, I'll be here for many more years and those opportunities will come again.”

So hectic did things become for Brown once the Warriors offer was made public, the youngster deleted his social media accounts.
“The Warriors thing was my first shock with the media and what it's like when that came out,” he said.

“One day I woke up and my phone was blowing up. I ended up deleting Facebook, that was the best way to go about it.

“Ever since, because it was such a massive thing, everything else has come easy.”

Despite growing up a rugby union player, Brown said he had no desire to switch back.

“Not now that I've fallen in love with rugby league,” he said. “I love being here in Sydney.”

But not exactly your childhood dream, right?

“I've always been a union kid,” he grinned. “Always looked up to the All Blacks and Auckland Blues.

“So you could say that, yes — this is the last thing I thought I'd be doing.

“But as I was getting older, 14 or 15, I started looking at the (representative rugby) teams and I was only playing club. So the dream starts to fade away and I tried league for a little bit … that’s when I got picked up.”