TALK around Jason Taumalolo’s future has more than once hit the NRL like a tsunami.
Not least because the Cowboys colossus has been likened to Sonny Bill Williams since the age of 16, fielded and sought out NFL interest before inking an eye-watering $10 million, 10-year deal in March.
Nathan Brown’s shift from Redfern to Parramatta last year, meanwhile, registered little more than a ripple.
The pair sit at opposite ends of the pay scale but to date in 2017, are the only men past a remarkable high water mark.
On Monday foxsports.com.au revealed that last September Brown was signed by the Eels for a bargain basement $170,000 from Souths, who had in turn offered him a pay cut.
The Fox Sports Lab has only one other player to clock 200+ metres and over 40 tackles in a game: Overgrown Eveready Bunny Taumalolo, with 220 metres and 43 tackles against Cronulla in round 11.
Brown can’t match the indomitable numbers of the reigning Dally M medallist week-in, week-out, nor can any other opponent.
But when the Parramatta prop is just two months younger than Taumalolo, three inches shorter, plus eight kilos, 10 Tests and 80-odd NRL appearances lighter, Brown’s rapid rise this season is put into perspective.
The $800k difference in salaries doesn’t hurt either. Parramatta are laughing all the way to the bank as Brown punches well above his pay packet.
He’s only missed one game this season, regrettably against the Rabbitohs mob he thought was “taking the piss” with the last contract they tabled him, and is churning through 21 minutes more a match than he did in red and green.
Nathan Brown has been in fine form since joining Parramatta.Source: Getty ImagesWith Brown’s added game time has come, on average, five more runs, 39 more running metres and five tackles a game, with a club-high 27 offloads tossed in, too.
In the past two weeks, he’s logged a combined 406 metres and 69 tackles in wins over the Dragons and Bulldogs.
On Saturday comes a date with Melbourne — rocked by six Origin absentees — where a win will have them just two more victories shy of the traditional 28-point finals cut-off.
But for their systematic salary cap rorting and the penalties that came with it, the Eels were already across the line in 2016.
At last with Brown, the blue and golds’ bottom line is starting to add up.
Replies
He's been a revelation and it's great he's getting the recognition that comes with those sort of performances. He strikes me as very much a confidence player, and he's performances for us, under BA couldn't be more contrasting when compared to what he churned out for Souths under Madge. Dare I say, Brown could well be the best example yet of BA's man management realising it's full benefit. So we have him sown up till the end of next year. We can't afford to let him get within a sniff of other clubs and need to lock up his contract stat. As others have mentioned even @$400K per year he's playing well above his pay grade.
Hindy followed Price as great defensive players for the eels, I am starting to believe that Brown has the abilities to overtake the both of them in that department but more especially in the other qualities he brings to the team.
Size and Power, are paramount to him as he takes the ball up hard, more often straight and hard, draws the opposing forwards like flies to fresh manure, and he takes some pulling down, usually 3-4 players at a time, meaning they have to regroup quickly.
Offloads. This is an area that he can do exceptionally well, and under some heavy attention. Its an area that I would love to see worked on more, but maybe more so when we reach the play offs.
Great point - I was only thinking that on the weekend with the whispers of Junior wanting to come back to Parramatta. Granted Ricky probably spells Culture with a K, but not withstanding the low base he's coming from its great to know that players want BACK in.
hopefully Loz will give the captaincy to pearce
To add to this blog the following was also on the Roar's 8 talking points this morning.
Nathan Brown holds Parramatta’s keys to the finals
If there’s a more in-form forward in the competition than Parramatta’s Nathan Brown at the moment, I would like to hear about him.
Brown has been sensational all year, but he has gone to a whole new level in the last month, and he again led the way against a still world-class Storm pack.
Even without their representative players, the Storm still have one of the best forward packs in the competition, and Nathan Brown made them suffer.
After making more than 250 metres in the Eels’ last game against the Bulldogs, he backed it up with another damaging performance and 200 metres against the Storm.
While you have to acknowledge the slick combination of Mitchell Moses and Corey Norman, as well as the handy work of Clint Gutherson, the Eels wouldn’t be the team they are without their starting lock’s big minutes.
The spine gives them the potential to make a run in the finals, and Brown, in his current form makes it realistic. That’s going to be particularly true if he is backed up by other forwards who have been inconsistent – and Manu’Ma’u is at the top of that list.
I think when Hindy's brother was at the eels and Hindy younger he was more of an attacking player but then changed to the defensive position following on. As I have said above I think Brown has the potential to surpass both of them.
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