Warriors’ approach attracts scrutiny
New Zealand Warriors and talent scout Peter O’Sullivan are facing scrutiny over an attempt to lure Parramatta youngster Dylan Brown across the Tasman on a A$3 million (NZ$3.12 million) deal that could be deemed a breach of the NRL’s antitampering rules.
The Sydney Morning Herald can reveal the Warriors made an offer to the rookie playmaker which, if accepted, would have put the teenager on the richest ever contract for a player yet to feature in a single game of first grade.
The Warriors’ bid to sign Brown, however, is likely to get the attention of the NRL given he is contracted to the Eels until the end of the 2020 season.
The Sydney Morning Herald has obtained a copy of the contract, which proposes to make Brown a Warrior until the end of the 2025 season.
The base pay for seasons 2020 to 2025 adds up to A$2.69m, plus A$57,651 across those six seasons in relocation expenses.
The contract states the Warriors would accommodate Brown in 2019 as a member of their fulltime squad if he gained a release from Parramatta.
It’s understood Brown is currently on a two-year development contract at Parramatta worth about A$60,000 per season.
The blue and golds have no intention of releasing Brown and are keen to extend his tenure.
Under the NRL’s antitampering rules, clubs can only begin talks with players from other teams on November 1 the year before their contract expires.
If the NRL deems the Warriors broke those rules, it could result in sanctions for the club and O’Sullivan, whose name was on the bottom of the contract offer.
O’Sullivan was at Melbourne Storm during that club’s salary cap scandal which exploded in 2010 but escaped sanction.
Warriors chief executive Cameron George said they had not deliberately breached the anti-tampering regulations.
‘‘We approached [Brown] on the understanding he was off contract at the end of 2019, which we’re entitled to do,’’ George said.
‘‘It was later cleared up [by his agent] that he had a variation [in his Parramatta contract] that committed him until 2020 and that was it.’’
The Warriors deal, sent to Brown’s manager in November, shows how desperate the club is to find a long-term replacement for Kiwis halfback Shaun Johnson.
Johnson was released from the final year of his contract to join Cronulla when relations soured with the Warriors after they indicated he wasn’t in their long-term plans.
The multimillion-dollar deal also indicates how highly Brown, who is still just 18, is rated.
Brown’s stocks are on the rise given that he is expected to partner Mitchell Moses in the halves for the Parramatta Eels this season after Corey Norman was released from the final year of his contract to join St George Illawarra.