Ben Hunt's Dragons reality laid bare amid 'embarrassing' saga
The fallout at the Dragons continues despite the club blocking a move for its wantaway captain.
Ben Hunt's position as captain of St George Illawarra has become almost untenable, according to rugby league journalist Paul Crawley. The Dragons shocked the NRL world this week after blocking a move for their wantaway skipper, who had requested an immediate release to seal a move back to his home state in Queensland.
The Brisbane Broncos were widely tipped to secure Hunt for the rest of the season, while the Titans were expected to sign the veteran halfback on a two-year deal from 2024. For now though, the Dragons have refused to budge by granting Hunt a release and the 33-year-old has reaffirmed his commitment to the club, at least for now.
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Speaking on NRL 360 on Tuesday night, Crawley described the messy saga as "embarrassing" and questioned how the Dragons could continue to be led by a player who's made it clear he wants out of the club. “Geez that makes it hard for Ben Hunt to continue to be the captain of that club,” Crawley said.
“Like seriously, what do you think of a captain that has asked mid-season for a release and then he says, oh I will stay until the end of the season. He has got two years beyond that on his contract. It’s embarrassing.”
Hunt had been seeking an early exit after the Dragons' recent coaching upheaval, with Shane Flanagan set to take the reins from 2024 following the sacking last month of Hunt's close confidant Anthony Griffin. A mid-season switch to the second-placed Broncos had appeared the perfect fit for Hunt, with many arguing it would have made Brisbane premiership favourites.
Ben Hunt call buys Dragons more time
Fellow NRL 360 panellist and league reporter David Riccio insisted Hunt's potential move to Brisbane stalled because the Dragons didn't have a replacement for the Maroons Origin star. He suggested Hunt would remain with the Dragons for the rest of the season, but that a move for 2023 was still a distinct possibility.
“I suspect he finishes the season (with the Dragons)," Riccio said. "In the interim knowing that Ben has made all the noises, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Dragons, while working to get on as a happy marriage, just see what is available in the background should Ben come knocking on the door again later in the year.
“They have just had no time. Why would you release Ben Hunt now with no other option coming your way?”
Riccio declared the window for the Broncos to secure a mid-season switch for Hunt had "definitely closed" for the season. “They (Broncos) know they are not going to get him anymore,” Riccio said.
“It was a window of opportunity for the Brisbane Broncos. Ben Hunt declared that he wanted out of the club and they saw an opportunity to maybe win a premiership with this guy. I think the window is definitely closed for this season. I think Ben Hunt remains there this season.”
Whether Hunt does secure a move back to Queensland for next season largely hinges on what the Dragons are able to get in return, according to Crawley. He used the example of the Melbourne Storm and their initial reluctance to let Josh Addo-Carr move back to Sydney, before ultimately granting the winger a release.
“It is like the Storm when they had that issue with Josh Addo-Carr wanting to return to Sydney,” Crawley said. “Unless you get what you want out of that exchange, you don’t exchange.
“So if it ends up being the Titans, they say OK are we happy with Tyrell Sloan? How about you give us AJ Brimson. Now there is a fair trade. But you are not giving him up to get a young guy like Toby Sexton. That is not a deal you are going to put your money on.”
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