The Dragons are more delusional than we thought if they think they can dig in and convince disgruntled skipper Ben Hunt to remain at the Red V.
Hunt, 33, is St George Illawarra’s best player and captain – the fact he’s requested an immediate release simply underlines the depth of problems at the Dragons are clearly far greater than we thought.
We know the Dragons are a bad scene but this has gone next level now.
The St George Illawarra management of CEO Ryan Webb and general manager of football Ben Harran have been under siege for the entire season over the way they’ve gone about sacking Anthony Griffin, missing the signature of Jason Ryles and now the Hunt bombshell.
Given the latest development, it’s only fair the blow torch is applied.
Let’s go through the list of issues the Dragons have faced on Webb and Haran’s watch. From the BBQ-gate during COVID to only three players turning up to the Red V presentation night to a pre-season problem in Mudgee to Junior Amone being stood down and then re-instated under the NRL’s no-fault stand down policy.
Is it any wonder Hunt wants out? Throw in Zac Lomax being axed to NSW Cup, Hunt’s 300-game dinner the CEO and the chairman didn’t bother showing up to, the list could go on.
It’s unfair new Dragons coach for 2024 Shane Flanagan has had this hand grenade land in his lap before he’s even got his feet anywhere near the desk in Wollongong.
Hunt wanting out has nothing to do with the Flanagan appointment. But for Webb to offer up the waffle he did on Triple M’s Sunday Sin Bin including a guarantee Hunt will be at St George Illawarra until the end of 2025 is a CEO paddling with a teaspoon in damage control.
The Dragons can try and dig in all they want – but when you’ve got a player offering to pay a transfer fee to get out of his existing contract there’s genuinely only one way it ends.
In tears. The Dragons Army of fans are understandably fuming at the captain wanting to jump ship.
They need to direct their anger at the management of the club who have allowed this situation to spectacularly blow up the way it has.
Granted Hunt has been paid an average of $1 million per season for the past six years and the Dragons have only made the finals once in his first season with the Red V.
But Hunt has also consistently been the Red V’s best player for the past three years and it’s on the club that they haven’t been able to make it work.
How can they possibly think it’s a good idea to have a player on the roster who doesn’t want to be there?
And by releasing him they’ll free up $950,000 to spend on other players.
Where’s he most likely to land? The early word was Hunt is a Queenslander at heart and likes the idea of returning the Sunshine State.
This means the Gold Coast Titans would have to be a genuine chance to land a marquee player.
The Bulldogs have also been closely monitoring the Hunt situation and will no doubt want to have a conversation at the appropriate time.
And the left-field play could be the Sydney Roosters. Don’t for a minute think a powerful club like the Roosters won’t have already had these conversations.
The Tricolours have landed on the worst attack in the NRL this season and the addition of Hunt could be a similar scenario to when Cooper Cronk arrived at the end of 2018.
Before people start blowing up about how do the Roosters fit him in there’s a variety ways they could re-jig the roster to make it work.What do you make of the Ben Hunt situation at St George Illawarra?
Should the Dragons let him go or dig in?
