The Kiwi five-eighth has player options in his contract that allow him to leave the Eels at any time. Former NRL player Justin Horo has declared Dylan Brown “looks and feels” like a Sydney Roosters player, linking the Parramatta five-eighth to the high-profile club. Brown’s agent recently contacted rival NRL teams to gauge their interest in signing the Kiwi international, who has one of the more unique contracts in the game.
Brown can stay at Parramatta until 2031 if he desires, but he can also get out at any time of his choosing. The five-eighth has a number of ‘player options’ in his contract that allow him to leave at any time, and he could find himself at a new club in 2026.
Brown’s agent even contacted Rugby Australia to discuss a possible code switch, but RA boss Phil Waugh shut down that avenue on Monday. Speaking on SEN radio on Monday afternoon, former Eels player Horo said he believes the Roosters will be heavily in play to snare Brown’s services.
The Roosters lost a plethora of talent in the off-season, with Joey Manu, Joseph Suaalii, Luke Keary and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves among the many to depart. Sam Walker and Brandon Smith will miss the first half of the season as they recover from ACL injuries, but the Bondi glamour club has only signed Chad Townsend for 2025.
Could Dylan Brown be eyeing a move to Roosters?
They’ve managed to snare hooker Reece Robson from the Cowboys for 2026, but apart from that have been conspicuously quiet on the recruitment front. It’s believed the Roosters are biding their time and saving cash for when some big-name players become free agents, and have been linked to the likes of Kalyn Ponga, Ryan Papenhuyzen and Mitchell Moses.
And Horo believes Brown also falls into that category. “Doesn’t Dylan Brown just look and feel like a Rooster to you?” Horo said. “You’d think they have a whole heap of [salary] cap room with Manu, Jared, Luke Keary all leaving. That would make so much sense…It means he stays in Sydney…”
Fellow former NRL player Willie Mason also declared this week that Brown will be looking to join a premiership contender rather than enduring a rebuild under new coach Jason Ryles. “He needs a top-four club for the next six years,” Mason said on the ‘Levels’ podcast. “He’s in his prime and that’s what he’ll be thinking. Are we ascending or descending, or are we going to be rebuilding for the next two or three years?”
Rugby Australia not interested in Dylan Brown
The Warriors have also been tipped as a big player in the Brown sweepstakes due to his heritage. Brown was born in Auckland and plays his international footy with New Zealand. The Warriors have lost Tohu Harris and Shaun Johnson to retirement and would also have a bit of money to spend.
But one door has been slammed firmly shut in the form of Waugh and Rugby Australia. Waugh said on SEN radio: “I saw some commentary from RA on that and we are focused on our own backyard and want to keep on developing. We have got some great depth across all positions.
“[Head coach] Joe [Schmidt] is building a strong culture in and amongst the group. We’ve always got an open mind … Joe has built a really strong squad. I think that what you will see is players that play with each other frequently will perform.”
