Newcastle Knights dummy half Jayden Brailey has all but confirmed he will remain at the club for the 2025 NRL season despite a link with the Parramatta Eels.
The hooker was reportedly told he was free to leave the Knights earlier this season, with rival clubs interested in his services.
Brailey has struggled in recent years to stay fit, copping a number of devastating injuries, but has managed 20 games this year, the first time he has played more than ten since 2021, and only the second time in his five seasons at the Knights.
The crafty hooker is contracted at Newcastle until the end of 2025, but the club are desperate to reshape their salary cap, with Brailey and Daniel Saifiti both told they are free to leave if they can find contracts elsewhere.
It has also emerged this week that former Queensland centre Dane Gagai, and New South Wales forward Tyson Frizell could be in the same position if they can land contracts elsewhere.
Journalist Michael Chammas told Triple M that the Eels could be a likely suitor for Brailey.
“Jayden Brailey at the Knights has been told he can look around. I don’t believe anything is yet with Jayden Brailey,” journalist Michael Chammas said.
“There are whispers that if Parramatta can get their sort of ducks in a row and move their players on that they want…Jayden Brailey could be a target for them.”
Brailey thouugh speaking to News Corp, has now revealed he has spoken to the club and given every indication he will remain a Knight in 2025.
“There’s no progression with any of that, so the focus for me is trying to play my best footy because I’ve still got next year at the club,” Brailey told the publication.
“Whatever happens on the back of that will happen, but there’s no progress on all that.
“It was probably a bit (weird) 10 weeks ago when it first started floating around because it was a bit of a shock, but it’s a business and it’s what we all signed up for.
“I understand how it works. I get that it’s not personal.
“I knocked it on the head pretty quickly and spoke with the club about what was going on, and we’ll work through it.”
It means Brailey will likely remain a member of under pressure head coach Adam O’Brien’s squad for 2025, although there are no guarantees given Newcastle’s salary cap position.
Brailey’s contract is believed to be one which, even at this late stage, could fit into a number of clubs’ 2025 salary caps.