The Knights have offered club junior Bradman Best a massive deal worth as much as $4 million to stay in the Hunter, but brewing interest around the NRL means Newcastle may face a fight to keep him as the ‘family-focused’ star heads to the open market.
The deal, first reported by Code Sports earlier this week, would see Best earn around $820,000 a season with several ratchet clauses that could bring the pay packet closer to seven figures. It would run to 2031.
It may not be enough to match Parramatta’s expected offer, though: the Eels are already plotting to make the 25-year-old the highest-paid centre in rugby league.
Best has been quite vocal that he wants to do what’s best for his young family with his next deal, with everything “about my family” in his negotiations — and that means he’ll hit free agency in November to see all the strongest offers.
“It’s about my family and making sure we’re settled and we’re happy. I’m a father now, I’ve got a bub, so I’m making sure we’re happy and healthy,” he told media on Thursday.
“I’m a Newcastle junior, I love it there. I have been there since a young kid but I’m a father now. I’ve got to do what’s best for me. I’m here in camp [with Australia] worrying about this. I know November’s around the corner, and I’ve just put [contract talks] on hold, so obviously I’ll be going to November 1.”
Best has already been copping a ribbing for his stance, admitting his Kangaroos camp teammates have been calling him “cash” as a joke regarding Newcastle’s big-money offer. “All the boys are talking about it,” the centre said. “There’s plenty of cash going around, apparently. So, we’ll see what happens.”
Maybe the only hope the Knights have, considering the Eels seem primed to outbid any challengers after 1 November, is his Hunter connections. Best is from Gosford and came through Newcastle’s junior grades before making his 2019 debut in red and blue.
The club also just signed his younger brother Baxter on a multi-year deal; should Bradman want to play alongside him, that is a bargaining chip the Knights can wield.
“Walking away would be hard. I’ve been through the struggles for a long time, and to see where we’ve come and what we’re able to achieve, it’s special. I know the club’s heading in the right direction, and I know there’s a few of us lads at Newcastle off-contract. Hopefully we can get something done there,” Best said.
“I’ll just let all the media talk and all the contract stuff will sort itself out, but I’m in no rush. I think there’s half the Aussie team off-contract, so there’s plenty of talk.”
Surprisingly, reshuffles in the Knights’ front office may also help somewhat. Best didn’t name him directly, but suggested he was happy the club’s now-departed head of recruitment, Peter O’Sullivan, had left to take up a rich deal with the Brisbane Broncos.
“I know the person that was handing out the contracts; a few people were upset [with him],” he said. “But now he’s gone, so hopefully we can get something done.”
The other side of the argument is that Best’s partner Kayla is the daughter of boxing great Jeff Fenech, a self-appointed Parramatta tragic who has been very vocal about wanting the young family to live down in Sydney.
“I would love Bradman to go to the Eels. They haven’t offered me anything, but they want me to be an ambassador, and I would love my granddaughter and son-in-law to live closer to me,” Fenech told Fox Sports. “I don’t give a f**k who he plays for; I just want that club to set Bradman up for life.”
Best is set to make his debut for Australia this weekend, when the Kangaroos face Fiji on Sunday evening.
– Isaac McIntyre
