Bradman Best says any suggestion he’s already struck a deal with the Parramatta Eels for 2028 onward is “all speculation” right now, and made it clear he wants to stay loyal to the Newcastle Knights if the deal the club offers works for him and his family.
The new father just hit NRL free agency on 1 November, and has already fielded strong demand from rival clubs like Parramatta and the St George Illawarra Dragons.
The Knights had hoped Best would re-sign before he got a chance to speak to other teams, but he waved away the club’s $800,000-a-season offer (he says a reported four-year, $4 million deal never reached him) before the Rugby League World Cup.
Since then, the 25-year-old has been tossing up where he wants to go beyond next season, with the two options quite simple: either he takes the $800K-a-year deal and shows his Knights loyalty, or he takes his future father-in-law’s advice and sets up his young family with a seven-figure Eels deal.
Well, we say simple, but it’s far from that for Best, who is also juggling a World Cup campaign with the Kangaroos—and the whole thing is stressing him out.
“Sleepless nights are definitely on the cards. I mean, it’s a good position we’re in, but it’s also nerve-racking at the same time,” he told Fox Sports this week.
“There’s going to be challenging and tough conversations ahead… I haven’t made a decision yet, and I’m in no rush to make a decision. I want to sit down and properly discuss my future. I’m a father now, so we’ll sit down in due time and make a decision about what we feel is best for myself and the family.”
The Kangaroos centre said that Newcastle will still get the first right of refusal on any deals that do get struck, especially after they gave him his debut.
Baxter, Best’s little brother, also just joined the club on a squad deal, and that should play some part in the 25-year-old free agent’s big call—especially if he wants to play in the same side as his younger sibling.
“I want to be loyal to Newcastle. I want to sit down with the coach. I’ve got a lot of respect for Justin [Holbrook] and what he’s done for not only myself but the club this year. He really turned it around in 12 months, and I’ve been through a lot of hard times here at Newcastle,” Best said.
“There were some embarrassing days with wooden spoons, but to see the club where it is now and where it’s going, I definitely give Newcastle the first crack. My loyalties are to them, and I’ve been loyal to them for my whole career.”
But the final decision will come down to Bradman sometime soon, and that’s left him “nervous, obviously.” It almost sounds like he just wants a crystal ball to see the future: “You can’t pick it. Like, we got the wooden spoon, and then we’re in the grand final. No one would have thought of that,” he said.
“It’s all full on, and November 1 is a crazy time. It’s hard seeing everything come out in the media; that’s their job, but it’s a crazy time,” the star centre continued.
“I’m lucky I’ve got good people around me, and I just don’t want to make a decision out of emotion, but I still want to do what’s best for us as a family.”
The reporting is still all pointing to the Eels being the frontrunners, with ESPN currently suggesting Parramatta are in the “box seat.” The western Sydney club’s deal, it’s understood, will run through to 2031 and will hover around $1M-a-year with ratchet clauses for the salary cap update.
Should Best actually leave the Knights, the Hunter club is then expected to make a major play for Dolphins wantaway Jack Bostock. He is speaking to the Dragons and is reportedly leaning towards a Wollongong return.
Best next plays with Australia on Sunday, against Samoa in the World Cup semifinals.
