Parramatta Eels lock forward Nathan Brown became a real leader of the Eels forward pack, which was smaller than most rival packs, as he led with a level of intensity and aggression each time he hit the field.
After leaving the South Sydney Rabbitohs in 2016, Brown proved to be a real pivotal role in the Blue & Gold line up, with many claiming Brown as the Buy of the Year.
Shifting to the starting side in Round 6, Brown averaged near to 80 minutes each week, leading the side in both run metres and tackles nearly every week.
2017 Stats – Nathan Brown
Games played: 25
Tries: 1
Runs: 432
Run Metres: 3832
Tackles: 881
Offloads: 43
Line breaks: 1
Line break assists: 3
Brown ran a full kilometre more than the Eels’ next best forward (Brown made 3,832 metres in 25 games with Manu Ma’u making 2,883 metres in 24 games).
He topped the tackle count for the year with 881 tackles (followed by Daniel Alvaro’s 710) and also the offloads with 43 (Ma’u followed with 29).
At the Eels end of season presentation, the 2017 Ken Thornett Medal, Brown claimed the prestigious award voted as the NRL Player of the Year, as voted by his teammates.
The forward also claimed the Blue & Gold Army NRL Player of the Year as voted by Blue & Gold Members in 2017 along with claiming the Tackle of the Year at the NRL’s Dally M Medal Awards night for a tackle on Sydney Roosters forward Dylan Napa in Round 10 of the NRL Telstra Premiership.
Brown was selected in the 2017 Italian Rugby League World Cup squad.
