Parramatta young gun Dylan Brown leads new Eels generation

For years it has been one of the biggest knocks on the club, but the emergence of Dylan Brown could herald the start of an exciting Eels era.

• Eels teen sensation: Mum made me play for Parra
• What we learned in final NRL pre-season trials

For a rookie NRL player doing his first major interview, Dylan Brown could not have been more impressive.

He was confident yet in no way cocky.

He just spoke with raw honesty about the wonderful position he now finds himself in as he prepares to make his mark in the NRL.

Yet there was also a genuine understanding that at this point, as he said, “I am not even there yet”.

Dylan Brown is preparing to make his mark in the NRL. Picture: NRL Photos

This will be key to his future.

Too often too many young hot shots get an early taste of the limelight and fall into the trap of losing sight of the hard work that is needed to keep afloat in the NRL.

I was talking to Cooper Cronk about it recently and the explanation the champion playmaker gave should be the message posted on the locker of every young player.

“The moment you think you have made it or you are better than you actually are, the rugby league gods have a really strange way of pulling you back down to earth,” Cronk said.

Cooper Cronk has some wise words for young NRL players. Picture: Dylan Robinson

Brown has showed some really promising signs in the Eels’ two preseason trials so far and there is no doubt he has the talent to go a long way in the game.

Just as importantly it looks as though he has exactly the right attitude.

Club insiders will tell you Brown’s work ethic and ability to push his body to the limits is what has impressed the coaching staff and teammates most over the summer.

The story about him fainting while trying to chase down Clint Gutherson in a time trial is proof of that.

You get the feeling that this kid is the real deal and he is here for the long haul.

The other real positive to come out of this pre-season for Parramatta fans is the fact Brown is one of a host of young players who have emerged from within the club’s junior pathways system.

Dylan Brown. Picture: Brett Costello

Reed Mahoney. Picture: Brett Costello

For years this has been one of the biggest knocks on the club.

The fact Parramatta has access to so many terrific young footballers but too few of them go on to establish themselves as top shelf NRL players.

Brown, hooker Reed Mahoney, props Oregon Kaufusi and Stefano Utoikamanu and winger Ethan Parry all came through the junior grades together.

Now they have a chance to be a part of Parra’s next generation.

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Originally published as Parramatta young gun Dylan Brown leads new Eels generation