Eels coach Jason Ryles has emphatically shot down suggestions the club could release Dylan Brown before the end of the year, declaring “that has not been discussed for a second”. Brown was kept relatively quiet again in Parramatta’s fourth loss of the season, only really threatening in the last minute as he made a break on the right edge and then set up a consolation try for Shaun Lane with a deft kick. It was a brief glimpse of Brown’s enormous potential, but also yet another reminder of the inconsistency that has some questioning Newcastle’s decision to sign him on a $13 million contract. Given Brown is no longer a part of Parramatta’s long-term future, there have also been suggestions the club could be better off parting ways with him before the end of the year. Eels great Nathan Hindmarsh, for example, said earlier in the week that it was getting to the point where it “makes sense” to move on. But Ryles made it clear that is not on Parramatta’s radar at the moment. “That has not been discussed for a second at our club,” he said. “I’ll let you know if it ever gets discussed. Dylan plays for Parramatta until the end of the year. If anything changes, I’ll let you know.” It will be at least another three weeks before halfback Mitchell Moses is scheduled to return from a foot injury, with games against the Dragons, Raiders and Tigers to come before a Round 8 bye. It has Ryles staring down the possibility of a winless start to the season that could even extend into early May. The Eels looked to be in with a chance against a less than convincing Sea Eagles side on Sunday when they reduced the deficit to 14-6, but errors and ill-discipline quickly saw Parramatta dig itself into a hole again. “Our fight and our effort were there but we just put ourselves under too much pressure,” Ryles said. “The last five minutes I actually asked the boys, ‘Why did we attack like that because that’s what we look like in training?’. “That’s a coaching thing. That’s on us. We need to make sure we are able to give the players the best chance to execute. I can’t fault the fight or effort in the group. But we just put ourselves under way too much pressure too often. “I’m frustrated, but I’m frustrated because I’ve seen how much work the players have done and I can see the little green shoots and that coming through. That’s the frustrating bit. “They’re working hard, they’re a really good group of players in regards to their desire to get better and their work ethic.” The last time the Eels started a season 0-4 was 2018, when they finished in last place with a record of 6-18. While there are few reasons for Parramatta fans to cheer at the moment, Ryles said there has been one clear “positive” to come out of the opening month of football. “The positive for me is Kitione (Kautoga), (Sam) Tuivaiti, Ryley Smith — all under 10 games,” he said. “The growth in those boys so early has been extraordinary. That’s where I get real belief that we’re heading in the right direction. There’s other guys I could single out, but it just takes time.”