Dylan Brown - 10 years $13 million.

[Brocko]

If they've had to give Brown a 10 year, 1.3m deal to lure a mid half, what the hell are PNG going to have to offer other than no tax?

 

[1910]

He and Ricky are very tight. I think Ricky was even directly involved in his contract negotiations. Bugger all chance he's leaving Canberra.

Has to be that way Ricky won't talk to Fogarty's manager.

 

[Fitzy]

Has to be that way Ricky won't talk to Fogarty's manager.

Completely seperate issue but as a player wouldn't your coach having that attitude towards your management and best interests not make you want to leave the club? Like Tas Bartlett for christ sakes? They are all slimey buggers but my god if thats the way your coach conducts himself why would you want to be there. If I had a coach who couldn't give me the respect of putting aside his issues to prioritise his players best interests I'd probably want to go elsewhere. Ricky doesn't talk to anyone who upsets him just about so its quite poor and petty that he puts these issues before his players. He's not doing this for Tas, he is doing it for Jamal and to keep Jamal at the club. I don't know I feel that would probably rub me the wrong way a fair bit. I'd tell him to get fucked personally, talk to my agent or somebody else from another club will be.

 

[Fernando]

I think the dollars are probably fine, Gus Gould said what I expect is the truth that the spine players are underpaid, so you don't offer JT, Fifita, even Haas potentially, the big bikkies, but it's ok to offer a quality spine player a double salary, which is all 1.3-1.4M is. The 10 years seems nuts though, you would want some pretty strong clauses in there to protect the club. What it's also saying is the next Andrew John's from the Newcastle nursery is going to end up playing for the Roosters.

That part is definitely true. If you look at every single NRL premiership winning side, you either need 2 superstars in the halves, or you need a legendary half like Lockyer/Johns to carry the other. Even winning a comp with two good halves like Anasta/Sherwin or Soward/Hornby is extremely rare. And it seems to be getting worse too. Just 6 halves have won the last 8 grand finals between them.

 

[Fitzy]

On the other hand absolutely bizarre from the Knights. I don't rate Brown at any price really. Think you need a cleary-esque half to win anything with him. Good luck to them and Dylan but hey its a really dumb and risky deal. I don't think we have seen anything from Dylan ever to suggest his potential is even 1.3 million and he has played alongside Moses for 5 or 6 years. If your potential isnt even worth that much I hate to see how much your actual ability is gonna fall short of that being worthwhile.

 

[Fitzy]

I think the dollars are probably fine, Gus Gould said what I expect is the truth that the spine players are underpaid, so you don't offer JT, Fifita, even Haas potentially, the big bikkies, but it's ok to offer a quality spine player a double salary, which is all 1.3-1.4M is. The 10 years seems nuts though, you would want some pretty strong clauses in there to protect the club. What it's also saying is the next Andrew John's from the Newcastle nursery is going to end up playing for the Roosters.

I agree with Gus. Sadly you have to be able to develop 1 or 2 of these spine players and have them playing at that level on unders but I agree having quality everywhere will only get you so far if your spine isn't fan-fucking-tastic and I mean fan-fucking-tastic. The Broncos, Storm, Panthers and at a push Manly. Thats how good your spine has to be to win comps.

For a club like Newcastle they arent developing the talent and just have to stack the spine and hope the rest sticks. Hey I respect it clubs should be trying to win premierships not just trying to be competitive enough to keep there jobs. This is how Newcastle are gonna have to try win premierships. Just overpay for the spine and hope the rest can get the job done.

The biggest question I have is Dylan Brown a quality spine player?? I don't know if he is. I definetly do not think he is quality enough to get bang for your buck without a halfback. Dylan might be a good signing as the final piece of the puzzle. Not the first piece. Its like grabbing a random middle piece and starting from there without even builidng the edges first. NOT GONNA WORK VERY WELL.

 

[Fozz]

10 years? Well, it worked for DCE but how does Brown compare to DCE when he signed his?

 

[BooKhaki]

On that, what makes him a top tier 6? I'm genuinely asking because I can't think of a single outstanding quality that he has.

Honestly, in my opinion, Newcastle would have even been better spending half what they've spent over half the years on someone like Bevan French.

Even if you can convince me Brown is a top tier 6, that isn't even what Newcastle need.

And on that, which big name 6s would even come close to worth that money outside of say Munster and perhaps Dearden? We even feel we've overpaid for Mam and he's much better than Brown.

Primarily his running game, and also the fact there are so few high quality halves. He's pretty solid defensively, and can absolutely carve sides up when his team is on top.

I believe Brown is better than Mam as a total package, but I also value Brown at about what Mam is getting paid. 1.3m is genuinely crazy.

 

[Sproj]

Primarily his running game, and also the fact there are so few high quality halves. He's pretty solid defensively, and can absolutely carve sides up when his team is on top.

I believe Brown is better than Mam as a total package, but I also value Brown at about what Mam is getting paid. 1.3m is genuinely crazy.

Yeah fair enough. And it is a double whammy - size of contract and length. Even if he is better than Mam, he kind of has as many off field issues too, so it isn't like you are getting a clean skin either. Just a baffling, baffling decision.

 

[Big Del]

even if your forwards are getting belted, they can still help you get out of trouble.

That has been the Para game plan for a few years .
Got the coach sacked .

 

[Big Del]

This will go down as an all time horror contract. Brown is a top tier #6, nothing more. I think he's worth up to the 900k mark for a max contract of 4 years. I think this will end up losing them Ponga.

I think the game he played for the Kiwis under Madge when they flogged the Kangaroos a year ago elevated his value greatly .

 

[Dazza 92]

Objectively, I suspect Knights must know Ponga is out the door when his contract ends, because they'd be mad to have 2 players on $1.3m / Year in their team - it's way too much of the cap to have tied up in 2 players, one of which has a significant injury history.

Subjectively, this kind of money (and contract length) for a player as average as Brown is insanity. He has looked awful without Moses next to him at Parra and done nothing to prove he can be a marquee player - which is what you expect for this sort of money. For $1.3m / Year, you expect the player to win premierships, Dally M's or both. Brown probably wouldn't even make the first grade squad at a number of clubs.

The argument that with the cap increasing over the 10 year life of the deal, so in half a decade Brown's contract will only be above average money is also ridiculous. With the entire team hamstrung by this contract I wouldn't be surprised if, after 4-5 dismal losing seasons, Brown joins the club of huge money halves playing reserve grade alongside illustrious names like Chris Sandow, Ash Taylor and Anthony Milford for the last half of his deal.

I honestly don't have a clue what Newcastle are thinking.

Yeh - you can see Pongas old man storming into Newcastles board room and demand his son be released to join the Swans or something....

 

[broncsgoat]

would be on suicide watch if I was a knights fan.