Dylan Brown says he does not have any of the get-out clauses in his $13 million Newcastle deal that he admits have caused “dramas” at Parramatta. And the Knights recruit has doubled down on his insistence that money wasn’t the driving force behind his lucrative move next season, but more the length of the 10-year deal that sets the 24-year-old’s family up for the next decade.

Brown was contracted to the Eels until 2031 but a series of player-options in his deal allowed the Kiwi to ultimately seal the mega-money move to Newcastle from next season. It’s hard to blame Brown for taking the money and the 10-year job security and many critics have pointed the finger at Eels management for allowing it to eventuate because of the questionable get-out clauses.

When asked last week whether his Knights deal included similar clauses, Brown said: “I don’t think so, no. No crazy ones,” which inadvertently summed up what many critics thought about his deal with Parramatta. And in an interview that aired on Nine’s 100% Footy on Monday night, Brown revealed that his 10-year deal with Newcastle does not include any such player options that would allow him to walk away earlier.

“I’m sure Newcastle have seen the dramas it put me in with Parra so no, I’m locked in for 10 years,” he told Nine. The Kiwi Test star was called out last week after claiming his move was not about money, but then admitting the deal would go a long way to setting up his family’s future.

But the 24-year-old took another opportunity to explain that it was the length of the Knights deal that was obviously the deciding factor. Brown says Parramatta simply could not match the 10 years Newcastle put on the table and refused to speculate on whether he would have stayed if they had, despite claiming he never wanted to leave the Eels.

“I was very open and transparent with Parramatta as to what I was facing, what Newcastle were offering me,” Brown added. “I wanted to stay at Parra for longer, they couldn’t do that, they couldn’t match it, even though they tried. They just couldn’t, their vision was different to the Newcastle Knights and the vision of the Newcastle Knights is obviously what entertained me more. The money is obviously a bonus to that but the 10 years was obviously the biggest reason why I went there.”

Dylan Brown admits he’s ‘not a seven’ yet

Many have questioned Newcastle over the eye-watering offer for Brown, who is expected to move to the Knights as their long-term No.7. The Kiwi star is unproven as a halfback and has struggled playing there in the absence of Mitchell Moses. Parramatta’s 0-2 start to the season without Moses has also shone a brighter spotlight on the issue and league Immortal Andrew Johns has questioned whether Brown has the necessary organisational skills and communication to be a champion No.7.

“The more I thought of it, there’s no halfbacks around, so I understand,” Johns said on Nine earlier this week. “Is he worth that money? No, not as a five-eighth, but they have bought him as a halfback. They’ve gone chips all in, but this is a huge gamble. He is untried at No.7 and I have worked with Dylan and he has all the tools to be a halfback… It’s exciting if they can get it right, but he’s untried in that position. He’s gonna be the main man and gonna need to be the halfback.”

Tellingly, Brown has suggested it is a big gamble the Knights are taking after being asked whether he sees himself as a halfback. “Right now, no I’m not a seven, I’m a six,” he said. “I’ve always played six up until now. I’m my own player and they (the Knights) spoke to me about that. They’re willing to take me for what I am now.”