Knights coach Adam O’Brien says he feels for Dylan Brown after the backlash he has copped from the Parramatta fans who once idolised him.
After it was confirmed last week that Brown had signed the richest deal in rugby league history to join Newcastle for the next 10 seasons, the 24-year-old was booed at CommBank Stadium before Parrammatta’s clash with Wests Tigers when his image appeared on the big screen during the team announcement.
O’Brien admitted it was a concern “for any young person to cop that amount of criticism”, and suggested the Parra faithful have short memories.
“I can’t speak for the [Parramatta] fans,” O’Brien said. “What I will say is he’s been a really good servant for that club. He’s been in a grand final for them.
“He’s still the same player that he was three weeks ago before all this started to happen. So, yeah, I do feel for him.”
Brown was also harshly critiqued by the media for his performance in the 32-6 hammering from the Tigers, with one publication awarding him a rating of three out of 10.
Parramatta’s Dylan Brown on the attack against Newcastle in the trials.Credit: Getty Images
The Kiwi international five-eighth appeared content to allow back-up half Ronald Volkman, deputising for injured Test playmaker Mitchell Moses in only his seventh top-grade game, to call the shots.
O’Brien said there was no point in “fixating” on Brown’s form with the Eels because he will be in a new system next year, playing a new role.
“There’s different personnel,” O’Brien said. “I look at him how he will perform with our crew.”
Newcastle’s willingness to take a $13-14 million gamble on Brown has been heavily scrutinised, but O’Brien remains adamant he’ll be worth every cent.
Knights coach Adam O’Brien.Credit: Getty
“I haven’t lost any faith in our purchase,” O’Brien said. “I’m really, really happy with us being able to bring Dylan to the club next year .… I know what he’ll look like in our team.”
After rotating his halves on a regular basis since he arrived at Newcastle in 2020, O’Brien is looking forward to the luxury of fielding Brown in a settled spine from next season onwards.
As well as Brown’s decade-long deal, skipper Kalyn Ponga is signed until 2027, five-eighth Fletcher Sharpe until 2028, and New Zealand Test hooker Phoenix Crossland agreed to a contract extension on Wednesday, tying him to Newcastle for at least three more seasons.
“The club’s done a really good job, [recruitment manager] Peter O’Sullivan in particular, at locking away long-term a big piece of the team, which is the spine,” O’Brien said.
“So we’ve got our guys long-term with good quality and just as important, good depth … we get a good chunk of stability here.
“I know there’s a lot talked about the uncertainty of guys off contract and a lot of changes, but there’s a lot of stability as well.”
O’Brien’s immediate focus is Saturday’s clash with the Gold Coast at CBus Super Stadium, in which his team will be chasing their third straight win this season.
Newcastle will field a depleted pack after back-rower Dylan Lucas (hamstring) was injured at training this week, joining Kai Pearce-Paul (suspension) and Leo Thompson (knee) on the sidelines.
In Lucas’s absence, 19-year-old back-rower Jermaine McEwen – rated by Knights insiders as one of the club’s brightest prospects – will make his NRL debut.
“Whilst disappointed to see Dyl go down in the training session, it was really good watching the guys get around Jermaine, and we’re looking forward to see him make his NRL debut with us,” O’Brien said.
Newcastle’s makeshift pack will have their hands full against a Gold Coast line-up featuring heavyweight forwards Tino Fa’asuamaleaui, Reagan Campbell-Gillard, Moeaki Fotuaika, Beau Fermor and David Fifita.
“We know what’s coming,” O’Brien said. “We know what sort of team they are. They’re very, very dangerous in the attacking side of things, all the in-between stuff like offloads.
“Their spine light up on anything that’s fast. So we just need to make sure that we get our contact levels going and work really hard defensively like we’ve shown last week.”
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