Parramatta have vowed the player options that could result in star halves Dylan Brown and Mitchell Moses walking out on the club early will never again be allowed in future contracts.
The Eels are sweating on a decision on Brown, who under the terms of his contract has until round 10 to sign with a rival from next year, despite having a deal with the blue and golds until 2031. Even if he decides not to exercise it, Brown has another get-out option he could trigger in two years’ time.
It means that even if the Kiwi international recommits now, the circus currently surrounding his next career move could repeat itself just as new cashed-up franchises enter the competition.
Halves partner Moses also has an option in his favour that could result in him being on the move before his contract expires. So too Will Penisini, whose future beyond this year remains uncertain.
Brown is on a deal worth $975,000 for this year, rising to $1.1 million a season thereafter should he remain an Eel. The Knights are considering whether to table an offer that would blow Parramatta out of the water amid suggestions it could take as much as $13 million over 10 years to lure him away from the Eels.
It’s a huge sum for a player who didn’t even make this masthead’s list of the top 50 players in the game.
The issue of player options was raised at a Parramatta member forum, fronted by new coach Jason Ryles, new chairman Matthew Beach, chief executive Jim Sarantinos and head of football Mark O’Neill.
“This is obviously a topic that’s had a lot of coverage,” Sarantinos told the gathering of 250 Eels members.
“We have three players on our list at the moment with player options. You have Dylan and Will Penisini with player options for 2026 and that option needs to be exercised by round 10. The third player is Mitchell Moses, his option is in relation to 2027, so Mitch is tied up for ’25-26 with us. His option is to be exercised by the 31st of October, so that’s at the end of this season.
Mitchell Moses and Dylan Brown.Credit: Getty
“We are obviously in active discussions with the managers to try to work through those situations and get them resolved as quickly as possible. We’d like them to be resolved quite soon, but they have a contractual entitlement to exercise it at the time it’s in the contract.
“What I would say is those three players, they have all come through our system, they are much loved by everyone at the club. I know they have a passion and desire for the club, I’d like to think they will be here for the long term and play out their careers at the club. That’s something we’re working through with their managers. I can’t tell you when it’s going to be resolved or how it’s going to be resolved.
“That’s an impossible question to answer. I’m hopeful it will land in our favour.”
Beach, in his first public address since succeeding previous chairman Sean McElduff, added: “This is a really important topic. There are three additional points I’d like to make more broadly in relation to player options.
“The first point is we haven’t entered into a player contract that has an option for about two years; May 2023 was the last time we entered into a contract with a player option.
“Point two, since that time we’ve signed or retained 22 to 24 players since [then] without issuing player options.
“Thirdly, we will not be issuing player options going forward.”
The last comment was met with a round of applause from the Eels faithful.
In a recent interview with this masthead, Penisini said he was likely to stay put.
The forum was also an opportunity for Ryles to engage with the fans, who were keen for a prediction on how the team would perform this season.
“My learnings over time are, don’t put expectations or limitations on yourself,” Ryles said.
“The biggest thing for us is to build the culture; we make sure that’s a living, breathing thing with you guys [the fans] involved in it.
“Then we work on the way we play and improving on that every day when we go out on the footy field.
“Where is that going to land us? I don’t want to put a ceiling on it, but I do know the best living case study at the moment is the Bulldogs. They got the latest and greatest coach in there [Cameron Ciraldo], and they nearly ran last in the first year.
“That’s just the reality of the competition. I don’t want us to do that, and I hope that doesn’t happen to us, that’s definitely not the plan. I don’t have any limitations or expectations, I just want to build a strong culture [where] the players come to work every day and they know they are in an environment where they can get better.
“That will hopefully translate into some good performances on the field and good results.”
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