Dylan Brown bombshell: Eels star to sign richest deal in NRL history with Newcastle Knights

Parramatta have confirmed superstar playmaker Dylan Brown will leave the Eels to sign the richest deal in the NRL’s 117-year history with the Newcastle Knights.

• Buy, Hold, Sell: The SC cheapies you can’t miss

Dylan Brown has informed teammates he is quitting the Eels with the Parramatta playmaker poised to ink a record-breaking $13 million deal with Newcastle.

This masthead can reveal Brown is on the verge of agreeing terms on a 10-year contract with the Knights in a bombshell move that will rip apart his scrumbase partnership with Eels halfback Mitchell Moses.

Newcastle are confident they have got their man – until the end of 2035 – with Brown to celebrate the richest deal in the NRL’s 117-year history.

Brown confirmed News Corp’s exclusive report on Monday night, saying on social media: “Hello everyone, I have decided to take an opportunity that is best for me and my family.

“To the Blue and Gold family ... nothing changes. I’m locked in for this year and we have a job to do. Love.”

Brown’s management have formally advised NRL salary-cap auditors of the 24-year-old’s intention to leave the Eels at season’s end, as required under the code’s contracting laws.

Dylan Brown is set to join the Knights on the richest deal in NRL history. (Digitally enhanced photo)

The Eels now have 10 days to submit a counter bid but Parramatta’s reluctance to enter a bidding war has cleared the path for Brown to wear Knights colours for the next decade.

Parramatta confirmed this masthead’s report on Monday evening, saying that Brown had informed club staff and teammates of his decision earlier in the day.

“Dylan has been offered what I understand to be the biggest deal in NRL history from 2026 onwards,” Eels GM of Football, Mark O’Neill said.

“Dylan is a class player, we understand his decision to take up the offer and no one could begrudge him for accepting this opportunity for him and his family.

“Despite agreeing to terms with another NRL club for future seasons, Dylan remains committed to the Eels in 2025 and we look forward to him playing his role in the team for the remainder of the year.”

Titans skipper Tino Fa’asuamaleaui signed a $12 million deal with the Gold Coast two years ago but Brown’s impending move to Newcastle from 2026 will make him the richest contract holder in rugby league.

It is understood Brown has told teammates he won’t be at Parramatta next season in a crippling blow to the Eels following Sunday’s 56-18 thrashing against the Storm.

The Eels were hoping to retain Brown on his existing nine-year deal, laced with two get-out clauses, but the Knights’ offer is simply too good to refuse.

Dylan Brown's message to Eels fans.

Only an eleventh-hour, David Fifita-style change of heart will stop Brown leaving, with the Eels pivot having a 10-day cooling off period to renege on a move to Newcastle.

Brown has not formally inked a Knights deal at this stage, but Newcastle bosses expect the Kiwi Test pivot to formalise his future in the coming days.

Newcastle’s impending poaching of Brown is a huge coup for the Knights as the club looks to give superstar fullback Kalyn Ponga a classy partner-in-crime in the club’s quest to snap a 24-year title drought.

Brown faced giving up an estimated $6.4 million by rejecting Newcastle’s offer and the $1.3 million-a-season carrot from the Knights has proved enough to seal the Kiwi’s mega defection.

Brown is happy at Parramatta _ and the initial sentiment was that he would lean towards staying _ but the magnitude of Newcastle’s offer stunned the Eels pivot.

In the wake of Parramatta’s grand-final campaign in 2022, Brown signed a long-term extension until the end of 2031, albeit with a series of clauses that allowed him to explore the market.

The Eels tried everything possible to retain Brown.

They were given every opportunity to match the 10-year deals put forward by the Knights and a second unnamed club, but Parramatta bosses were happy to stick to their original deal.

The remainder of Brown’s Eels contract is worth around $6.6 million.

The Kiwi World Cup star will ostensibly double his earnings by inking a lifetime $13m Knights deal until the end of 2035.

Brown had until round 10 to make a decision but the veteran of 123 NRL games is ready to make a definitive call now.

The $1.3 million-a-season deals will see Brown join Newcastle champion Ponga ($1.4m), Penrith’s Nathan Cleary ($1.3m) and Storm’s Cameron Munster ($1.3m) as the highest-paid players in the code.

Mitchell Moses implored Dylan Brown to stay at Parramatta.

Brown will also usurp the $1.25m-a-season earned by Eels halves partner Moses, who earlier this month appealed for his scrumbase cohort to keep the faith.

“That’s up to Dyl, I hope he stays, I love him, I love him to death,” Moses said.

“I feel like I play my best footy with Dylan. That’s a decision he’s going to have to make in due course.

“It’s up to him, you (have to) give him as much time as he wants.”

But Newcastle again prevailed in a bidding war, just as they did when they signed Ponga to a $3.6 million contract – the richest deal for a teenager – in 2018.

Originally published as Dylan Brown bombshell: Eels star to sign richest deal in NRL history with Newcastle Knights