Cooper Cronk shuts down NRL theory, makes telling call on Dylan Brown deal

Dylan Brown’s new $13 million NRL contract is the talk of rugby league, but there’s one part of the deal a legendary player isn’t a fan of.

In the wake of Dylan Brown’s massive contract to play at Newcastle, Cooper Cronk says only NRL Immortals are worthy of 10-year deals and poured cold water on the theory NRL halfbacks should be worth $2 million per season.

Parramatta five-eighth Brown signed with Newcastle this week on a 10-year deal worth $1.3 million per season that will see him link up with Knights superstar Kalyn Ponga in a bid to bring a first premiership to Newcastle since 2001.

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The jury is out on whether Brown has the potential to transform into a genuine playmaking halfback. Matty Johns this week described the 24-year-old’s game style as that of a “deputy”.

Fox League expert Cronk, who played both No. 6 and No. 7, during his career with the Melbourne Storm, Sydney Roosters and Queensland, said the amount of game management is the major difference between the two positions.

“You touch the ball maybe 40 times as a five-eighth, you touch the ball maybe 60 times as a halfback,” Cronk told news.com.au.

“That’s 20 more decisions the general of the team has to make, along with an idea of what the defence is doing, more kicking, organising your own team.

“There’s a few things Dylan or anyone would have to learn, but if you’ve got a work ethic and determination you can learn anything. Anyone has the potential if you work hard and want it enough.”

Dylan Brown has signed a massive deal with the Knights. Picture: Tim Hunter.

The emergence of young Newcastle halfback Fletcher Sharpe means Brown could play five-eighth alongside Sharpe when he joins the Knights in 2026.

“That’s for someone to work out in 12 months time,” Cronk said.

“If I’m Newcastle I’m not worried about that, I’ve just won two games to start the year. There’s a few other things to focus on if I’m Newcastle.

“There’s no doubt Dylan Brown, when he puts it together, can be a game changer.

“Whether it’s in the seven or six, he’s going to have to do it for 30 weeks consistently. “Whether it’s the control of the team, a lot more decision making. He has to be great a lot of things, not just his running game.”

Brown’s 10-year contract is one of the longest and most lucrative deals in NRL history, along with Jason Taumalolo’s 10-year extension with the Cowboys through to 2026 and Daly Cherry-Evans’ eight-year deal with Manly.

Cronk believes only the all-time legends of the game deserve to be offered decade-long contracts.

“Talking about 10-year contracts, there’s a handful of players in the history of our game who have probably deserved 10-year contract that have had return on investment,” the former Storm and Roosters star said.

“Are the players of today’s ilk generational? Are they future Immortals? Look at Cameron Smith. Ten plus years at the top, he delivered on that contract.

“Thurston, Slater, Lockyer — those are the guys who delivered 10-plus years at the highest level and return on investment if given that type of money.

“The other ones probably haven’t but you can argue that on each level. Dylan Brown’s got 10 years to work it out.”

The jury is out on whether Brown can become a halfback. Picture: NRL Photos

Cooper Cronk isn’t a fan of 10-year contracts. Picture: Jonathan Ng

NRL supremo Phil Gould believes if there was an NRL auction, Penrith halfback Nathan Cleary could command a salary of more than $2 million per season such is the importance of the halfback position.

The salary cap will rise to $11.55 million next season and likely increase again when the new TV rights deal is locked in, and there is already talk of young Tigers halfback Lachlan Galvin earning a massive pay rise as rival clubs come calling.

Gould, the Bulldogs football boss, said in a hypothetical NRL auction, he would pay Cleary “two and a half million”.

“Players like Reece Walsh and Nathan Cleary, someone would pay extraordinary money for them,” Gould said on the Six Tackles With Gus podcast.

“I’m just saying if you actually put these players up for auction and emotion got the better of everybody, what these players would be earning. They’d spend their salary cap very quickly.

“At the moment, I think the quality playmakers are probably underpaid.

“The problem is if Nathan Cleary is a $2 million player, then every halfback takes his rating off that. It raises the cost of the average emerging player.

“He’s going to be the next best thing.

“We’ve got a lot of halfbacks out there that you haven’t even heard of that are on big money in the hope they come through to be a really good player.

“They’ll speculate and gamble on young fellas coming through. We all do it to try and predict the next one coming through.”

Is Nathan Cleary worth $2 million per season? (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)

Phil Gould reckons some NRL halfbacks are underpaid. Picture: NRL Imagery / Scott Davis

Asked whether he believed a player like Cleary was worth $2 million in 2025, Cronk said: “No, no. You sit in a salary cap era where the team is way more important than any individual.

“If someone gets paid $2 million, good on them.

“I will say this, personally I don’t think anyone except Immortals or future Immortals are worth more than five or six years. That’s my personal preference.”

The four-time premiership winner emphasised players like Brown are “worth what someone is willing to pay you”, but his preference is for medium term contracts over 10-year deals.

“Good luck to the players who do that because you can’t knock it back,” Cronk said.

“No one’s going to say in five years, ‘Thanks for being a good person, here’s another couple million bucks’. It’s not the way the world works.”

Cronk, who said this week he was disappointed with Brown’s performances for Parramatta while Mitchell Moses was out last season, said time will tell if Brown can become a game managing halfback.

“Anyone can be moulded into any position as long as you’ve got the work ethic and prepared to learn and absorb information,” Cronk said.

“I had to improve my game management and understanding the opposition and things that don’t necessarily don’t get seen a lot. It was watching film, reviewing games with coaching staff.

“All that stuff is easily taught, it’s just whether you’ve got the work ethic to understand it and fast track it.

“Unfortunately or fortunately, whichever way you look at this thing, Dylan Brown’s got a big price tag that comes with a lot of attention.

“The best way to avoid that attention and turn it from a negative into a positive is to play well, perform and prove to everyone the situation you find yourself in is deserving.”

Originally published as Cooper Cronk shuts down NRL theory, makes telling call on Dylan Brown deal