A candid Dylan Brown says he learnt plenty about himself and rugby league during a rollercoaster season in which he signed the richest deal in NRL history and had to handle being dropped from the Eels side before he went on to lead New Zealand to Pacific Championship glory. <\/p>\n
Brown, 25, has joined the Knights on a 10-year deal worth about $13m and is expecting a son in the coming days.<\/p>\n
The money was too good to refuse for a young man who has a family to provide for, with Brown acknowledging that his salary will make him the most scrutinised player in the game for years to come.<\/p>\n
But Brown has a good head on his shoulders and has no qualms with how things went down with the Eels this season after he was dropped, spent time at hooker and three games at centre before he returned to five-eighth for his final game against the Knights.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe main thing that I\u2019ve learnt is that there\u2019s always something new to learn, no matter how good you are or what position you\u2019re playing or where you think you are in your game,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI learnt a lot this year. Playing at centre, far out I\u2019ve got a lot of respect for them because defending out there is probably the hardest in the game.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd there are the tough carries. Me as an 88kg fella doing that was tough.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fans and the media gave him a lot of grief after he signed the richest deal on record, with people still questioning whether he can actually play halfback.<\/p>\n
But Brown simply ignored the criticism and doubled down on his efforts, which Eels coach Jason Ryles says helped him win back a spot in the team.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s how I was raised. No one cares what you\u2019re going through, so work harder,\u201d the playmaker said. <\/p>\n
\u201cNo one was going to help me deal with that except for me, so if I didn\u2019t buy into what the rugby league team wants and the coach wants, then you\u2019re not going to get very far.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a team sport and it\u2019s not all about you. If you don\u2019t understand that, then you\u2019re not going to do well in rugby league.\u201d<\/p>\n
Brown is now tasked with saving the Knights, who claimed the wooden spoon and had the worst attack in 2025.<\/p>\n
He\u2019ll begin training next month and has vowed to keep his baby away from his new teammates to ensure he doesn\u2019t get any crazy ideas about hairstyles. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been there nearly two months and the baby is due soon, so our family is going to grow,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cHopefully, my son doesn\u2019t have a mullet because they\u2019re pretty popular up there, so I\u2019ll steer him away from those.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t wait to start. I\u2019m not due back until mid-December, but I\u2019ll be in there earlier to get around the boys.\u201d<\/p>\n
Brown could start 2026 as the Golden Boot winner, with the Kiwis five-eighth in a battle with Australian stars Cameron Munster and Reece Walsh for the top gong.<\/p>\n
He was superb for New Zealand at the Pacific Championship where the Kiwis reminded everyone that they are a legitimate World Cup threat even though the focus has been on teams like Tonga and Samoa. <\/p>\n
\u201cWith people like Payne Haas pledging their allegiance to Samoa, it\u2019s exciting and it\u2019s good for them,\u201d Brown said after his side beat Samoa in the final earlier this month.<\/p>\n
\u201cI love that they talk about it because it\u2019s making our game better. We come to these games and we\u2019re not expecting to take it out easily because it\u2019s a tough game.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m happy that they (Samoa) went in as favourites because it allowed us to focus on ourselves. We knew they were coming in hot, and it was something that James Fisher-Harris drove that we were still the best team in the world.<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course not (others don\u2019t think we\u2019re the best) but it\u2019s something we believe and we\u2019re always going to drive. If you don\u2019t believe what you are, then you\u2019re not going to get the win.\u201d<\/p>\n