As Blue & Gold fans, we can be quick to negativity & criticism, a frustration likely developed through 38 years of starvation.
For many, who are quick to criticise, Dylan is currently pouring fuel on his own fire, feeding his own negative PR.
For those who are fans of Dylan, the player, who watched his rise to exceptional from in Round 12 2023 against South Sydney, only to then witness his much publicised off-field incident directly afterwards, drawing a line through his own & the Eels season, this contract process is harder to swallow as we look forward to his continued on-feild rise in 2025.
It's frustrating, but we have to remain patient, and understand that from our perspective as passionate fans we are simply not privy to any trustworthy information - Eels are click bait, and the stories will keep coming.
FINANCIAL
While we do not know the exact details, It certainly appears that the Eels are holding firm on their offer as they likely look to remove clauses from his contract.
It’s a very refreshing stance by Parra, and we have to commend them for it.
Though, digging deeper, if Dylan were to walk from the Eels, is 900k savings per year really a positive as many claim?
The Eels lose millions in development, and more importantly (for us as fans), we lose valuable time, years, of development & growth of combinations, especially with Mitch Moses.
Removing Dylan from this Eels team might allow 900k a season to go to market, but, unless we are able to purchase a like for like replacement, which is incredibly unlikely, we infinitely go backwards at 5/8th.
What is the real price of that loss, when you consider…
THE EELS SPINE
The Eels will be running inexperience at two vital spine positions with Iongi at fullback, and Brendan Hands at hooker, unless we go to market for a dummy half.
Albeit talented, and an exciting change at fullback, these two are both still very raw. Adding another inexperienced member of the spine at five-eighth, and we are essentially rebuilding, or at best renovating, and, does that renovation period outlast the time Mitch Moses has in the game?
I hear you, we can go to market for another 5/8th, preventing the above.
Unless that is Tom Dearden or Jerome Luai (very unlikely), its going to take time for whoever that would be to gel.
Time we have, but does Mitch?
THE MITCH MOSES EFFECT
‘I feel like I play my best footy with Dylan, he knows I love playing with him, and I think everyone else in the team loves playing with him, so he knows where we all stand.’ - Mitch Moses.
With Dylan & Mitch on the field, something that has been far too rare over the past few seasons, the Eels have a halves combination capable of competing for Premierships in coming years.
These two compliment each other perfectly. Its rare, and needs to be valued.
What impact does removing Dylan Brown have on Moses?
With DB & Mitch the Eels have two very dangerous halves for oppositions to strategise for & work hard to cover both sides of the field. This forces defences to be over thinking, over working, it creates fatigue.
One of the biggest concerns with removing Dylan is the pressure it will apply to Moses. All of a sudden, defences can target Mitch, as they did with Dylan last season, it likely impacts the freedom he currently plays with.
But, just how much of a threat is Dylan Brown?
2024 ‘THE NUMBERS'
‘Whether he is good form or bad form, Dylan Brown is an absolute threat on the team sheet when playing Parramatta, so for me he’s already in that top bracket of players’ - Cooper Cronk
There has been a thought process amongst many that he ‘underachieved’ last season at best, and was a ‘complete failure’ at worst, and has not improved at all since 2022. We've heard it all.
Do the numbers back these claims?
’An argument could be made for Brown being the best performing five-eighth in the competition last season - Fox sports guru Aaron Wallace.
‘If Brown wasn’t the form five-eight last year, he was pretty close, the numbers suggest so’ Wallace continued.
Braith Anasta commented:
‘He’s been at a club thats struggling, so its easy to kind of overlook how well he is playing and when you play alongside Mitch Moses, he can be overshadowed a bit.
‘It’s easy to think he had underachieved, when he hasn’t. The stats don’t lie’.
Stats from Aron Wallace (Fox Sports).
FIVE-EIGTH TRY INVOLVEMENT RANK:
- Braydon Trindell
- Luke Keary
- Luke Brooks
- Dylan Brown
- Tom Deardon
FIVE-EIGTH TRY ASSISTS RANK:
- Cody Walker
- Dylan Brown
- Kodi Nikorima
- Jayden Campbell
- Luke Brooks
FIVE-EIGTH LINE BREAK INVOLVEMENT RANK:
- Tom Dearden
- Cody Walker
- Dylan Brown
- Luke Keary
- Luke Brooks
FIVE-EIGTH LINE BREAK ASSISTS RANK:
- Kodi Nikorima
- Cody Walker
- Jack Cogger
- Dylan Brown
- Jayden Campbell
Wallace had Dylan Brown ranked 1st, when covering all metrics.
What the stats don’t show were Dylans struggles from his unfamiliar halfback position last season. There is no doubt running the side as a general wasn’t within his abilities at this stage.
And both Braith Anasta & Cooper Cronk spoke of Dylan finding that ‘C’ word at his top level also - consistency.
What makes Dylan Browns 2024 impressive though, outside the fact he was surrounded by a revolving door of reserve grade players, while missing his halfback & playing an unfamiliar position, was the fact the Eels ran:
These are brutal team statistics that must have had Jason Ryles questioning his decision.
CULTURE
All of the above, of course, is meaningless if a player doesn’t fit, or worse, impacts the culture of a team.
Everything we have heard from the inner sanctum, would suggest this is not an issue for Dylan Brown.
‘I love the kid and what he does outside of footy is what nobody sees — he has a massive effect on the Parramatta area and I really hope he stays’ - Mitch Moses.
If Ryles feels Dylan isn't the right fit for what he is building, then now is the time for change, and it feels as if we can finally trust the coach & club with that decision
CONCLUSION
We are all Eels fans, we bleed blue & gold, and, the future is looking bright.
Players will always come & go, we’ve seen more than our fair share of talent walk from our club.
Would we survive without Brown? Of course.
But, its unmistakeable that the Eels are a far superior side with Dylan Brown, and we’d be selling ourselves short to assume he's easily replaceable. Especially now, as the club have rectified shortcomings of the previous few years that will ultimately impact Brown more than most.
We have a genuine back up halfback.
We have two genuine rep standard outside backs.
We have a more mobile & agile forward pack.
We have our halfback healthy again.
We have a new coach, and hopefully, we have a new defensive mindset & ability with the changes above.
At the end of the day, a Premiership is what we as fans are ultimately seeking.
Love him or hate him, Dylan Brown makes the chances of competing for one in the near future a far more likely prospect.
Sign, Dylan.
Replies
He is the kiwi 6 because there isn't much quality competition out there.
Nikorima, Toelau, Crossland, Foran?
So you think Dylan is worth 900k?
He is asking for more, is he worth a mil?
I hope he stays and Ryles gets him firing, but he ain't worth the money he is asking for.
Some valid points K, imo we can definitely compare them but the question is who provides more value? it's Moses at this point, obviously that can change - there maybe upside to DB game under Ryles time well.
Here's hoping, we as fans I think are all hoping Ryles can bring the best out of Dylan.
Both players have taken some time to develop and are at different stages of their footy careers - at the 100 game mark DB would be well head of Moses, I remember watching a game v souths in 2017 against South Moses - Mitch was a scattered player, kicking the ball out on the full and throwing hail Mary passes, defense was fragile - it's taken Moses in excess of 200 games to finally enter into that elite category. DB at 140 games including test matches and finals is behind schedule not defensively not by a great margin btw- DB plays plays one side of the field, ball playing doesn't come naturally to him but he is improving - footwork is good, DB does have his limitations but I'm convinced Ryles and coaching staff can really unlock his game.
Everyone seems to forget the old Mitch. The one parra was happy to let go end of 2018 when Mitch was told to find another club if he could. that's just on six years ago, when mitch was Dylan's current age .
When Moses arrived he was as immature on field as Dylan was. Plus Moses wanted to be in charge always even when he didn't show enough maturity. Completely different in his attributes now to six years ago. Dylan is coming to that level of maturity as a leader just now.
Reckon it's a bit of a case where Dylan has found it difficult to assert himself possibly as a 'get out of my way leader' with such a very dominant half back possibly as being a more laid back type of personality along side captain gutho heavily in his area often in attack too.
dylan will be great this year hope he can stay. It's his time now just as it was Moses' a few years back.
Key word Macy is maturity, Moses is settled both in and off the field - can't say the same for DB. Personalities are different, Brett Kenny was similar very laid back character - but he has a complete game both in attack and defense, even when he transitioned into lock in a average team he stood out.
Hi Macy, it's not a good comparison, Dylan is still immature and to our detriment it's off the field.
Hey Kurupt, maybe but just remember we were happy to let Moses go end of '18 BA wanted to give him the flick due to his issues. He was at same as age Dylan is now. His Tigers departure was horrid. Hope Dylan's doesn't turn out to be that bad tho he and his management are making it messier than it ought to be.
me I hope he comes out and says " yeah nah I'm not leaving haha"
Yer mate opinions differ, when asked why he was such a brilliant tactical kicker Andrew Johns reply was I practice 8/10 hours a week mostly after training. I don't think DB has the push or desire to do that.
Iam one that thinks DB is close to the top of his game and ability now and he plays with awesome skills,speed and strength he can break the line. The next couple of years he will improve the tools he already has.
Dylan doesn't need to change the way he plays the game, the players around him do.
Ryles and the coaching staff know what Dylan brings to the game and how he can open up that left side wide but also inside on the fringe of the ruck. Give him a fast winger, strong 2nd rower who understands unders and overs. A fullback that's fast and follows him on the inside.
Dylan will break the line or make a hole 3 out of 5 times he touches the ball.
I think Ryles knows that and will be building the left side attack around what Dylan already dose.
I'll make a prediction know if Dylan plays happy and on his game he will lead the NRL in try assists in 2025.
I hope Dylan stays, but if he goes it won't be the end for Parramatta. I have a high opinion of Ronald Volkman, his not Dylan Brown but he is a very skill full 6. It's whether he can bring it to the NRL FG.
If he goes he goes.
I couldn't give a fuck anymore about anyone, just bring on round 1 and season 2025.
I need the footy back, the weekends are killing me without it.
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