The Dolphins are reportedly considering entering the race for Parramatta Eels playmaker Dylan Brown after his agent shopped him around to NRL rivals amid his get-out clause.
Brown has until Round 10 to trigger an extension clause with the Eels, but has officially been placed on the open market following a series of emails from his manager Chris Orr.
Orr sent a group email to the NRL head coaches, CEOs, football chiefs and recruitment managers of the 16 NRL clubs on Wednesday informing them Brown was seeking interest for season 2026 and beyond.
The Eels five-eighth has a number of clauses in his eight-year contract which expires in 2031, including the potential to leave as early as the end of the 2025 season.
Orr was frustrated that his email found its way into the media minutes after it was sent and made a follow-up email shortly after.
“I am disappointed that my actual email to club CEOs/Head of Football/NRL Coaches/Recruitment Managers has been leaked within minutes to the media,” he wrote.
However, the advertisement for Brown’s services was a success, with a number of clubs showing their interest in signing the Kiwis’ five-eighth.
The Courier Mail reported the Dolphins are keen on luring Brown to Redcliffe.
The Dolphins have been searching for a proven NRL playmaker to join their ranks since their first season in 2023, but have missed out on a number of targets, most notably Cameron Munster.
The Dolphins recently missed out former Dragons skipper Ben Hunt, who opted for a return to the Broncos over a switch to their Queensland rivals.
Hunt met with new Dolphins coach Kristian Woolf, but ultimately chose to reunite with his first club the Broncos in Brisbane.
The Broncos and Cowboys are unlikely to make a play for Brown, who is expected to attract offers around $1 million-a-season on the open market.
But the Dolphins are a club that has the room in their salary cap to accommodate Brown and have indicated they are keen to talk with the Eels five-eighth.
Having underspent on their salary cap during their first two seasons in the NRL, the Dolphins are a genuine contender with the funds to make Brown their highest paid player.
The halves is an area the Dolphins have struggled to nail since their NRL inception in 2023, with Isaiya Katoa their long-term halfback, but still very early in his development.
The Dolphins have a strong spine with Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow at fullback and Jeremy Marshall-King at hooker, but they need an established half to partner Katoa in the playmaking positions.
Current five-eighth Kodi Nikorima has revived his career under Wayne Bennett but is only contracted until the end of next year and is getting towards the back end of his career.
At 24, Brown has already played 123 NRL games and eight Tests for New Zealand and can form a long-term halves combination with Katoa at the Dolphins.