Senior Eels put faith in mature Brown on finals eve

Young Eels playmaker Dylan Brown won't need too many words of advice heading into his first NRL finals series, according to two senior teammates who've been there before.

Kiwi back-rower Manu Ma'u reckons Brown will wear the black and white of New Zealand one day, while Brown's left-side partner Michael Jennings – who has more finals experience than any other Eel – doesn't expect to have to say too much to the rookie five-eighth.

The man himself says he is getting more comfortable every week, with his early season back injury now well and truly in the rear-view mirror.

"I try not to think about [finals] too much but it is weird to think that after this week if you lose, you're out," Brown said.

"It's kind of scary but at the same time exciting. And being a part of that is pretty crazy. Hopefully we can go quite far."

At least fitness is something he doesn't have to worry about after an interrupted debut season.

"With the back injury, that scared me because I didn't know when I was coming back, but it's much better now," he said.

"At first I think it was just because I hadn't played for 13 weeks, but now it's not really on my mind. I'm just thinking about finals footy.

"And we've had a lot of short turnarounds so haven't been training as much, so I've had a lot of time to rest and recover."

Much like his back injury, Brown's next contract is something else that hasn't taken up much of his thinking lately. Contracted for next year, rival clubs can make approaches from November 1 if he hasn't extended by then.

"I'm with PSM (Pacific Sports Management) and I feel like they've got so many players and are quite good with understanding that, they want to take all that away from us," Brown said.

"They want us playing our football. He [manager Gavin Orr] is probably talking with Parramatta right now hopefully. And yeah, if I do get re-signed before November 1 that would be very good for me and my mindset in terms of staying around.

"I love Parramatta and what they've done for me. I owe it to them and myself to stick around."

Eels enforcer Ma'u had the highest of praise for the teenager.

"He's still learning [but] he can be a future New Zealand halfback one day if he wants to play for the Kiwis. I've got big raps on him," Ma'u said.

"Dyl's still learning, he's still a kid, he's still got a lot to improve on. Just getting the consistency of NRL footy on his back. Getting his body into contact and getting his head into places he doesn't want it to be, it will toughen him up."

Jennings also backed Brown to lift his game further once finals hit.

"He's a calm kid ... he's going to be a great player," Jennings said.

"He doesn't need me [to say anything], he just needs me there in defence. I've been in his ear about giving me early ball! Handling the pressure, he'll handle it fine. He'll be fine."

Jennings didn't know much about the youngster but like the rest of the squad he took notice during a now-infamous incident in which Brown tried to match hyper-fit skipper Clint Gutherson in the fitness trials and wound up on a drip.

"I just knew on the first day of pre-season [when] he tried to go toe-to-toe with Gutho in fitness and ended up in the hospital, the ambos with the oxygen tank because he couldn't keep up!" Jennings laughed.

"I knew then, this kid, he's a good kid and he's going to be something special because he'll bust his arse for the boys.

"I think [finals] is suited for him. Those big moments in games during the year, there's a few players that step up, Mitchy (Moses) and Dylan have both stepped up in those big moments. I think he'll handle it really well."

With one more game before the sudden-death matches start, the Eels are desperate to return to the winners' circle against a Manly side that gave them some tap at Lottoland just a few weeks ago.

Brown in particular will be on the lookout for Sea Eagles hit-man Jorge Taufua, who conjured two enormous bone-rattlers last weekend against the Storm having earlier put Brown on the big-hit highlight reel.

"He's been bringing them every week, hey? He doesn't stop!" laughed Brown.

"He seems to find them quite well. I'll definitely be on the lookout for him.

"I thought I'd just make a joke out of it [with the Twitter post], I'm quite happy to be in the video. It was funny so, yeah, why not?

"He knows how to read the plays. If you don't see him, he hits you. If you see him you're able to tip the ball on but most of the time he seems to get you."

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