Shane Flanagan's revelation about Ben Hunt as Dragons target Super League gun

Shane Flanagan has his sights set on English superstar playmaker Jack Welsby as the perfect halves partner for Ben Hunt. Welsby has starred in the Super League, with his club St Helens, winning the last four grand finals.

The 22-year-old is widely considered the best player in England and was a standout in their World Club Challenge victory over the Panthers earlier this year. Welsby has represented his country at both five-eighth and fullback.

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The Englishman is contracted until 2025 but Flanagan is hoping that he can convince him to make the switch to the NRL. "We are definitely looking outside the square and have gone as far as going to the UK with Jack Welsby," Flanagan told The Daily Telegraph. "We've expressed some interest there and made contact with his manager.

"He is a super talent with attacking brilliance. We know there will be a lot of interest when he comes off contract but we might have to push now to see if we can get him. In the World Cup, he was outstanding. Even Benny Hunt said he was hard to handle when Australia played them.

"The challenge is getting some of those English players out of their country. Once they’re here they love it but getting them here is the challenge."

Welsby appeared on James Graham's Bye Round podcast last week and voiced his desire to test himself in the NRL one day. “I’m contracted at Saints for two years so my main focus at the minute is keeping myself fit, keeping myself right …. but I’d be lying if saying NRL is not something that interests you and testing yourself against the best,” Welsby said. “It is an interest, isn’t it? It’s a decision that I’ll come to if it ever pops up.”

Dragons halves an area of uncertainty for Flanagan

The Dragons coach is yet to settle on a No.6 for next year with multiple players in contention for the spot. Zac Lomax put his hand up to make the switch to five-eighth but is also viewed as an option at fullback.

Junior Amone's short-term NRL prospects are also unclear as he is currently awaiting his sanction from the NRL after narrowly avoiding jail time last week after being found guilty of assault. While new recruit Kyle Flanagan is another option but is believed to be pushing for the hooker spot.

Flanagan has also voiced his desire to lure Cowboys five-eighth Tom Dearden to the club. The Dragons coach said he wants to bring a young five-eighth to the club and if Dearden decides to leave Queensland, he would be very keen on his services.

“Tommy’s very similar to Joey (Manu), in that if he decides I want to test the market …he knows that we would love to talk,” Flanagan told AAP last month. “He’s a young half, played Origin. Got the world at his feet.

“He could be the future halfback of this club for another five or six years. It would be silly not to investigate if he’s on the market. I don’t know if he is open to moving, we’ve spoken, but Tom is a different young kid as well. He doesn’t like the fanfare and the media and all that sort of stuff. We’ll respect that and when and if the time comes, well we’ll do our best.”

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