Eels rookie Dylan Brown to get his shot in Parramatta halves

He is only 18 and yet to make his NRL debut but Corey Norman’s exit has catapulted young Kiwi Dylan Brown into Parramatta’s halves for the start of season 2019.

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He is only 18 and yet to make his NRL debut.

But that hasn’t stopped Brad Arthur from declaring young gun Dylan Brown is on target to get first crack at being Mitchell Moses’ halves partner at Parramatta in 2019.

Corey Norman’s departure to St George Illawarra catapulted the young Kiwi into the

spotlight prior to Christmas.

And Arthur has told The Daily Telegraph that Brown’s attitude throughout the summer slog has only enhanced everyone’s confidence in the young Kiwi.

Dylan Brown has already impressed at Parramatta. (Brett Costello)

“I have sat him down and told him that we want to give him first opportunity,” Arthur

said.

“I don’t like making promises I can’t keep. It is up to him. At this stage he is training alongside Mitchell and he is earning the trust of his

teammates.

“He is growing in confidence. Nothing seems to faze him. He has a good temperament. “He is very calm. He has a lot of tough traits about him.

“He trains hard and he is a bit of a no-nonsense footballer. He is going to give himself every opportunity.”

Moses and Brown could be the future for Parra. (Brett Costello)

The Eels first hit out for the top players will be against Canberra at St Marys on February 15 and that will be the first chance for Parra fans to see how Brown handles the step up in grade.

There is plenty of hope growing at the Eels despite the disappointment of last year’s wooden spoon finish.

Membership sales are way up and with the new stadium at Parramatta opening this year the players are thriving on the hype being generated by the fans.

The expectation on Brown has been building ever since it was revealed late last year that the New Zealand Warriors had pinned a target on him to be Shaun Johnson’s long-term replacement.

The Eels were having none of that, coming out publicly and stating that Brown was contracted until the end of 2020 and off limits.

Salmon is another option, once he becomes available again. (Brett Costello)

Jaeman Salmon and Will Smith are the other contenders to play in the halves this year, although Salmon is expected to be out of the frame for the opening NRL rounds because of a recent drink driving charge.

Arthur said Salmon was also training to play in the centres, while Smith’s versatility is an added bonus for his hopes of locking down a spot somewhere in the 17-man squad.

The Eels are due to have a training camp on the Central Coast next week before signing off on the pre-season with trials against Canberra and Penrith.

Arthur said he had been impressed with the level of commitment from the players throughout the preseason.

“They are working hard. They are extremely fit,” Arthur said. “It has been long but that is the position we put ourselves in.

“We were back a lot earlier than everyone else.

“We have had a tough week this week, we will give them a couple of days off, and then we are going up to Shelly Beach next week for a bit of a camp.”

Arthur knows there is going to be plenty of attention on Brown but said there was no

point hiding from it.

Brown will have a big chance to prove himself. (Brett Costello)

“He can obviously sense there is an opportunity and he wants to put himself in the

position to take it,” Arthur added.

“It is not a secret, we want to give him every opportunity. But I am not going to sit here and guarantee and make promises.

“If he continues to train and play with the right attitude, which I am sure he will, I

would say that he is going to get an opportunity. We will keep his role nice and simple.

“What he is really good at is he pushes around the footy, he is not afraid to take the

line on and he is brave defensively.

“He will concentrate on those things early in the piece and support Mitchell.

“Mitchell will let us know where we need to get to and it is up to Dylan to play his

role.”

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