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Find your Sport Nation frequencyAlexander: Brown's tenure as Parramatta's playmaker is over
Charles Goodsir • July 14th, 2025 12:40 pm
SEN’s Greg Alexander believes Dylan Brown’s days as Parramatta’s first choice five-eighth are over following the Kiwi international’s demotion to hooker.
Despite being named in the six jumper, Eels coach Jason Ryles made a change at the 11th hour and moved Brown to hooker and youngster Joash Papalii as the starting playmaker.
Brown, who will join Newcastle on a lucrative $13 million contract next season, played just 35 minutes in Parramatta’s 32-10 to Penrith. Alexander is adamant that the 25-year-old will not be given another opportunity in the halves at the Eels.
“It’s very odd,” Alexander said on SEN 1170 Breakfast.
“Jason Ryles is looking to the future. The Eels are not going to figure in finals.
“Brown is not part of the future and you’re now at a stage where you look back on the season.
“For Brown, has he done anything? Is he doing things during the game that are likely to win you a game? I’d say not.
“Playing the Dragons a fortnight ago, Newcastle would be watching this and thinking ‘(is) that our man?’
“The Eels don’t have a five-eighth for next year and they want to see Joash Papalii can handle it.
“After taking Brown off 30 minutes in and (Ryles) not putting him back on until the last five minutes when the game was lost, I think we know where Dylan Brown stands now.
“They’ll now shuffle Dylan Brown wherever but his time at the Eels are done in terms of playing at six.”
At the start of the season, Brown was initially contracted to Parramatta until the end of the 2031 season. However, the 25-year-old activated an option clause in his contract to explore his options and agreed to a 10-year deal with the Knights.
Following Brown’s less than stellar form this year, Alexander said Newcastle must be questioning their significant financial and roster investment on the playmaker.
“Dylan Brown is not winning Parramatta games (and) he won’t be there next year,” Alexander added.
“Jason Ryles has given him every opportunity because he signed a long time ago.
“He hasn’t done anything to get him a win throughout the season. It’s not been good enough.
“If I’m Newcastle, I’m looking at what else do we have? The ($13 million) contract has looked wilder and wilder as the season has gone on.
“The future is now (and) Dylan, you are not part of the future.”
Since his debut in 2019, Brown has played 138 games for Parramatta.
The Eels travel to Canberra to take on the Raiders on Saturday.
