What’s the Buzz: Newcastle Knights slam critics of richest deal in NRL history for Dylan Brown

Instead of celebrating a free agency coup that will make Newcastle premiership contenders, the Knights have been hammered. Now they’ve had enough and returned serve to their critics.

• Buzz’s Saint, Sinner, Shoosh

The man who delivered Dylan Brown to the Newcastle Knights on the biggest contract in rugby league history has dismissed the widespread disapproval and criticism from NRL legends.

Recruitment guru Peter O’Sullivan broke his silence to reveal how the Parramatta Eels star can help turn the Knights from regular first-round finalists into genuine premiership contenders.

And how he believes Brown can transform himself into the halfback role – the same as Melbourne Storm stars Cooper Cronk and Jahrome Hughes did after starting their careers in other positions.

“I don’t care what other people think about the money or the 10 years,” O’Sullivan said.

“We know what he’s going to deliver.

$13m man Dylan Brown. Picture: Tim Hunter

Knights recruitment boss Peter O’Sullivan.

“Those who are saying he’s not a halfback were probably saying the same thing about Cooper Cronk and Jahrome Hughes. Cooper played back row and centre in the Q-Cup. Jahrome was signed as a fullback from Townsville.

“They were never halfbacks at the beginning. They grew into the position.

“Dylan played all his footy at halfback in juniors but not since Mitchell Moses went to Parra.

“People can criticise us all they like but we couldn’t be happier at how it’s worked out.”

O’Sullivan revealed how the $13 million deal was sealed in a Newcastle coffee shop last Friday week – 48 hours before Brown played for the Eels against Storm.

The recruitment boss shook hands with Brown’s manager, Gavin Orr, at the Too Hands café in New Lambton before both parties agreed to keep the deal secret until Monday afternoon to allow Brown to play in Melbourne and then tell his teammates.

“I could have kissed him (Orr) when we shook hands,” O’Sullivan said. “I was that happy for what this is going to do for Newcastle.”

O’Sullivan is renowned in NRL circles as the game’s No.1 recruitment boss.

He was the man who discovered and signed the likes of Greg Inglis and Israel Folau in Melbourne, then Latrell Mitchell, Boyd Cordner, Joey Manu and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck at the Sydney Roosters.

He also built the Dolphins from ground zero into an immediately competitive side.

The Knights are already showing encouraging signs that they will again play finals football this year.

Kalyn Ponga and Fletcher Sharpe are combining beautifully in the spine.

Throw Brown in next year and they could well be a genuine title contender.

Originally published as What’s the Buzz: Newcastle Knights slam critics of richest deal in NRL history for Dylan Brown