- Rising Apa Twidle will leave the Parramatta Eels at the end of 2026 after agreeing to a three-year deal with the new Perth Bears (joining in 2027).
- The deal is in a cooling-off period, but he’s expected to go ahead with it because the offer is significantly better.
- Twidle burst onto the scene with a standout debut (2 tries in 3 minutes), which attracted strong interest from multiple clubs.
- Parramatta reportedly only offered a low-value development contract (~$80k), while Perth provided better financial security and opportunity.
- A key factor: the Bears are offering him a chance to play in the halves, rather than being used as a utility/backline option.
- He becomes one of the early signings helping build the Bears’ inaugural squad under coach Mal Meninga.
Bottom line:
Parramatta unearthed a serious talent, but underpaid and under-positioned him—Perth stepped in with money, role clarity, and long-term security, and likely pinched him.
Replies
Nobody ever leaves because of a player option. They only stay because of them, e.g. Matterson. They are insurance in case the player is badly injured in an off contract year. In most cases the player won't activate the PO even if he stays at his club because it is generally below market value. Instead he will negotiate a new contract extension (i.e. 'remove the PO', unless the new contract includes another one).
Dylan Brown left because he was off contract, not because he had a PO. Just like Sean Russell. If Brown had stayed it wouldn't have been due to the PO (unless he was badly injured and there was limited demand at the time). He also would never have signed his ten year contract without POs unless it was for massive overs, like he did at the Knights. A ten year contract means the player gives up all bargaining leverage for a decade while the salary cap keeps creeping upwards. This is why he signed a three year contract with several years worth of (below market value) player options. The options were only going to be taken up in an emergency.
Poupou, can you explain how Dylan Brown in early 2025 was "off contract"?
Brown had a contract with the Eels until end of 2031, with I believe two player options. The first permitting him to leave at end of 2025 IF he notified the club by Round 10 of 2025. If he did not notify by Round 10 of 2025 the next player option was again a notification by Round 10 of 2027.
That seems "contracted with clauses" as opposed to "off contract"?
An example of off contract as far as I understand off contract is Ryan Matterson. Contracted until end of 2026 and no offer for further contract on table as far as media has reported to date. I thin Junior Paulo too? Etc
It is about keeping the right ones people mention how poor Talagi is and forget how Moses used to be it's just a continual moveable narrative by fans.Every player is flawed in some manner or another everyone of them.Thats the trick here if you can live with the flaw and improve it like the above example then your onto something.Making FG doesn't mean a player is a finished product all it means he's reached Basecamp and there's still the mountain to climb.
Talagi had FG potential written all over him the issue is fans are living in the right now where if he's good enough you project what he can be work on the flaw and then you have a player it's much like the DB critiques now everyone understands the hole he's left now he's gone I'm like SMH.
The critique of Dylbag$ was NEVER that he was not a great 5/8. It was that he kept promising to "step up" to be a 7 if Moses was out but never did. Now Brown is at Knights with 7 on his back and billions of dollars, and the Knights have played Ponga, Smith and Sharp at 7 (effectively). Go figure. Knights swallowed Dylbag$ self-hype about 7 and their experiment to see if it pans out has begun.
Talagi had Brown in front of him at 6. Luai left 6 vacant for him at Panthers. It's a no-brainer and using Talagi to impale club mgmt is a fools errand IMO
Daz, respectfully, the criticism of Dylan Brown on this site was absolutely ridiculous, and far exceeded some 'promise' of stepping up as a halfback. It was relentless.
DB said he needed to 'step up' wth Moses out, which he did in spades, his effort areas in 2024 were off the charts, he’s just not a game manager / halfback - when did he claim to be? Where was his 'self-hype' as a 7, can you show quotes?
You mentioned scapegoating previously Daz, you should read over some of your previews & comments around Dylan Brown - were you not scapegoating?
NOS, as I say to my students, if you make a claim you must a) back it up with confirmatory evidence, and/or b) ensure it is immune to contrary evidence.
First, of course there were critiques of Dylbag$ that exceeded his promises to step up. But did those critiques deny he was an excellent 5/8th? No, the vast majority critiqued him for not playing to the potential they (rightly) believed he possessed.
Second, Dylbag$ spent most of the back third of 2023 suspended for being an idiot in a night club, so if you claim I was scapegoating Dylbag$ in previews I assume you mean in 2024? I wrote three reviews that season, because I was overseas much of the year on sabbatical. So we have a small sample in which I must be scapegoating Dylbag$. But I am WFH today, so voila, easy to open those files! The R1 preview basically showed that without Moses and Brown the Eels were in trouble. The R4 preview suggested this was an opportunity for Brown to show on-field leadership. I googled and easily found early 2024 media articles where Brown criticizes himself for being "consistently inconsistent" and promised to assume more on-field leadership and direct the team like a half. So I wasn't saying anythying Brown didn't say. In the R5 preview I did not critique Brown, instead noting Talagi had defensive issues and that BA had much to answer for in not getting the team to adjust strategy without Moses.
So where is this scaepgoating of mine, of Dylbag$? You can't be meaning 2025, because once Dylbag$ left for billions at the Knights, it's fair game to say the club put alot into him and stuck by him and then he up and left so we owe him no social niceties in the end?
Did Dylbag$ then hype his 7 capacity? We know in 2019 he admitted to being off with the fairies on the field and that Moses organized him on the field. No hyping 7 going on there. But we know going into R1 of 2026 Brown was saying he knows he is playing 7 and that comes with added responsibilities to playing 6. And when asked about why he left, he talked about the security of 10 years, that he had said to Knights they were taking him as he is now (6 not a 7) but he believed in their vision. Add those together and there is no way Dylbag$ sold himself as the mercurial 6 who is gonna be off with the fairies and they should hire a 7 to let him do so.He very obviously said he could be the main man, hence why he is running about with 7 on his back.
Anyway, my point in earlier posts was simply to deflate these 1:1 critiques of on-field-form and club mgmt and R&R. I say they are scapegoating, which is why I'm happy to refute a counterclaim that I am scapegoating! And gee, even if I was, the object was different (players not playing to potential versus 'the club'). As for Brown leaving, I shared everyone's disappointment that we let the best 6 the club has bred since Brett Kenny go. But if we listen to Dylbag$, it was "security". Even though in Feb 2024 when he signed with Knights he was still contracted to 2031 with Eels. It was money FFS.
Daz,
See this is the thing much like Moses DB potentially could grow into being a 7 but because fans wanted to see a finished product right now it was automatically assumed DBs not a 7.
I always said it's the reason why the club gave him that long term deal as I thought he'd do what Moses did grow into the position much like he could well do at Newcastle.That's the problem with all players there not finished products so why all of a sudden when the mantle was thrown to DB he all of a sudden needs to be upto Moses level when he'd never played 7 or given the mantle of running the team at nrl level.I'm not even going to mention structure the left and right BS the fowards getting beaten every other week injury and alike and DB is supposed to hop into the phone booth and go from Clark Kent to Superman tha imo was the issue.
I've always said this he has the traits to be a 7 he just has to be entrenched in the position not roll bowel and arseholed like he was here those last 2 years that was the real issue.You look at Moses even he struggles under similar circumstances and he's the #2 or 3 #7 in the game.
But look at him at the spooners and pacific cup they have now bet on DB we straddled the fence on him and now look 2 years he's been gone for and we still haven't got a replacement.It's so farken infuriating because if we had DB and Moses for the next 3-5 seasons I'd give us a real shot at ending this drought now we are back to square one with half a spine and burning our best players prime because of a poorly constructed contract structure.
Jesus that's seriously the issue everyone's buying the JR magic dust BS but make no mistake JR isn't winning a premiership with out real talent it's ok to have the worker type talents but in key spots you need real talent and we lost a good one in DB potentially a great one.
Sing it loud.
There are only so many 'effort' wins in a season. We just had one against the Dogs. But you can't win a comp on effort alone, you need talent. And when you're lucky enough to obtain or grow elite talent you don't let it walk out the door. If you do that you're not going anywhere as a club.
Muttman, spot on with effort wins. Its not sustainable and you get found out. Talent and effort wins comps neither one on its own can win a comp. We need both and then so much more to go right.
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