NRL 2023: Why Ben Hunt must relinquish Dragons captaincy

Ben Hunt’s bold and public request to leave the club mid-season makes his position as skipper untenable - and he’s left the Dragons in an awkward position, writes DEAN RITCHIE.

Ben Hunt confirmed he has asked for a release. Picture: Ian Hitchcock/Getty

He is the Dragons’ premier player and comfortably the most credentialled to lead his famous club - but Ben Hunt cannot captain St George Illawarra again.

Hunt’s bold and public request to leave the club mid-season – with two-and-a-half years remaining on his current contract – makes his position as skipper untenable.

He announced a strong desire to leave and must now live with those consequences. Hunt needs to stand down or the club faces the excruciating decision to dump him as captain.

And that will be difficult given the club is tiptoeing around their restless star in hope he will reconsider and remain.

But how can Hunt lead a team he doesn’t want to be part of?

And how can teammates look to Hunt for on-field inspiration, with their arses hanging out, knowing he wants to walk out on them?

A captain is a figurehead. The person you seek out for comfort and guidance when under fatigue.

Even Hunt must feel like quitting as skipper. How can he possibly put his heart and soul into the job now?

The replacement options are Jack de Belin, Jack Bird or Zac Lomax. None have the qualities of Hunt but all three want to play for the club.

Hunt has been a stellar leader and has worked his backside off since arriving at St George Illawarra five-and-a-half years ago.

He has, in my opinion, earned his $1m a year contract.

But it’s hard to see a way back for Hunt at St George Illawarra.

Perhaps he can somehow return to the club as a player. But surely he cannot be captain.

The damage is too significant to rebuild.

DRAGONS FEAR HUNT BOO THREAT

Restless Ben Hunt is expected to return to Wollongong on Thursday afternoon after State of Origin II and be required to attend Friday night’s important match against the Warriors at WIN Stadium.

But will he play? And, if he does, will the crowd jeer him?

Dragons interim coach Ryan Carr will contact Hunt early Tuesday to establish whether Hunt will be available for the Warriors match just 48 hours after an Origin game.

St George Illawarra is almost certain to name Hunt in a 21-man squad, when the team is announced at 4pm on Tuesday, either as halfback or as a reserve.

Hunt will play for Queensland on Wednesday night and then, the club hopes, travel back to Sydney and then onto Wollongong on Thursday afternoon.

As a contracted player, he will be expected to attend the game whether he plays or withdraws.

Dragons officials privately hope the crowd doesn’t jeer Hunt, fearing such a reaction could drive Hunt further away from the club.

Carr will ask Hunt how he expects to recover after Origin II and whether he would be available for two games in three days.

Ben Hunt is in Origin camp. Picture: Bradley Kanaris/Getty

Given Hunt is earning $1m a year, club officials want him to play if he’s fit.

However, should Hunt play significant minutes against NSW, he may be rested by Dragons coaching staff.

Hunt played 52 minutes in the middle during game one in Adelaide.

By the time Hunt is back in Wollongong on Thursday he will have missed the club’s captain’s run earlier that morning.

Carr will either name Hunt at halfback on Tuesday afternoon with Jayden Sullivan at five-eighth or announce Sullivan and Junior Amone as his halves with Hunt a reserve.

Should Hunt tell Carr he won’t recover in time from Origin II, the Dragons’ skipper won’t be named.

Either way, Hunt will be told to attend the ground as a player or to support teammates.

Hunt’s decision to play the Warriors may also revolve around whether Queensland wins the game, and the series, ensuring a post-game celebration.

Asked whether there was an expectation Hunt would attend WIN Stadium on Friday night, whether he plays or not, Dragons CEO Ryan Webb said: “We’d expect Ben to be there on Friday supporting the team, either actively playing a role or being around the group.

“We would expect he will be available and then it will be a football department decision as to how they utilise Ben on the night.

“At this stage, the club has denied his request for a release and we will continue to talk to his manager (Col Davis) about arranging a time where we can sit down with the key people from both sides and talk through the concerns.”

St George Illawarra officials are treading softly around Hunt and don’t want to further antagonise an already delicate situation.

Dragons officials want to sit down with Hunt and thrash out the issues, including whether his gripe is around team failure or club management and the board.

The club doesn’t want to retain Hunt through force.

‘REQUEST DENIED’: DRAGONS PLAY HARDBALL

St George Illawarra stars Zac Lomax and Blake Lawrie have implored Ben Hunt to abandon plans to quit the club.

Hunt wants out of the Dragons despite having two-and-a-half seasons remaining on his current deal.

The request comes as Dragons CEO Ryan Webb immediately denied Hunt a release before guaranteeing the club’s skipper would remain at the club next season.

“We probably didn’t see it coming,” said Lomax.

“Benny is his own man and he’ll make his own decision but for us, as players, we’d obviously prefer ‘Dozer’ (Hunt) to be with us. He makes us such a better team.”

And Lawrie told Fox League: “He’s our captain and he’s our leader. Being a bit selfish, I don“I haven’t annoyed him in Origin camp, he has a pretty big game to prepare for on Wednesday night. Our CEO Ryan Webb has come out and made a statement and he will be denied the release.

“Obviously Benny Hunt and ‘Flanno’ will talk going forward.”’t want him going anywhere.

Ben Hunt confirmed he has asked for a release. Picture: Ian Hitchcock/Getty

The Dragons released a statement on Sunday afternoon confirming Hunt would not be released.

Hunt is locked away in Queensland camp ahead of Origin II in Brisbane on Wednesday night.

“We’ve got no intention of granting that release and we’ve told his management exactly that,” Webb told Triple M. “I spoke to Ben this morning, I gave him a call. We’ve got a good relationship in that sense.

“A lot of it does come back to football. He’s got a couple of weeks left I guess and he wants to be winning and he wants to see us getting better and we’re not right now.

“Ultimately it comes back to that. He’s working really hard and he’s giving everything he can to the club but he’s not getting the returns or we’re not as a club.

“We’ve agreed he’s going to focus on his footy, we’ve got three or four weeks of this Origin period both for Queensland and the Dragons, he’s fully committed to focusing on that.

“Once we’ve got through that period we’ll sit down and Shane Flanagan will be involved, I’ll be involved, whoever needs to be and we’ll talk through things a bit more deeply. But in the short term Ben’s fully committed to playing for the Red V.”

Manly premiership winner, Peter Peters.

Asked if he could guarantee Hunt would be a Dragons player next season, Webb said: “Yes, I can. We’ve got a man who’s contracted until the end of 2025.

“I’ve got a current coach and an incoming coach who very much see Ben Hunt as part of our successful football program so those two things steer us in the direction that Ben Hunt will be with us.”

Webb denied Flanagan’s appointment prompted Hunt’s decision.

“I wouldn’t say this has anything to do with Ben not being happy with Shane’s appointment, that’s not something he’s mentioned at all,” Webb said.

Asked why Hunt would want out given he only re-signed last year, Webb said: “If you’re looking at how we’ve gone in the six months since then, the results haven’t gone our way, we’ve had a change in coach and he hasn’t seen the positive signs he was hoping to since the day he’s re-signed,” Webb said.

ZORBA CRACKS ‘PATHETIC’ HUNT

Former premiership-winning forward and outspoken Sydney broadcaster Peter Peters has launched a withering attack on Ben Hunt, claiming the Dragons halfback has had “a giant dummy spit” before declaring: “He has put a dagger through the Dragons.”

Peters was reacting to Hunt’ shock decision to seek a release from St George Illawarra despite having two-and-a-half seasons remaining on his current deal. Hunt may even ask to leave the club immediately.

The Queensland star’s decision angered Peters, who said: “Ben Hunt, this is a giant dummy spit because his mate isn’t coaching the Dragons anymore, Anthony Griffin.

“He had put a dagger right through the Dragons. I think it’s a pathetic act and I would expect more from Ben Hunt than this.

“I’m sick and tired of players and their managers trying to stand over clubs. The Dragons are on their knees so it’s a pathetic time to be doing this.

“The love affair with Anthony Griffin has gone too far.

“It’s okay for him to hold a soft spot for the coach, and Anthony is a nice guy, but the performances weren’t there for the side. The Dragons had to do something and they did something.

Ben Hunt is in Origin camp. Picture: Bradley Kanaris/Getty

“I don’t like the way it has come out. I think he could have waited until he got back (from Origin) and faced the Dragons rather than allow it to leak out and then confirm it through the media. Weak as.”

Asked how the club could react if Hunt repeatedly claimed he wanted to leave, Peters told The Big Sports Breakfast Weekend radio show: “Stand him down until he realises he’s in a lucky position in life.”

Peters, who won the 1973 grand final with Manly, had a solution to the issue.

“I’m sure this will be the message from (incoming coach) Shane Flanagan to Ben Hunt: ‘You’re contract until the end of 2025 and this is where you’ll be playing.

“‘We’re paying you more than $1m a year, you’re our senior player, you’re our gun player, you’re our captain, you’re staying, mate’.

“Hard ball, that’s what the Dragons have to play. No way should they release him.

“Shane Flanagan is a tough competitor and is exactly what the Dragons need. He’s a win-at-all-costs coach, as he showed when he won a premiership at Cronulla.

“I like Ben Hunt. He’s been a terrific player, he’s been good for the Dragons but this is something I don’t agree with and I’ve got to call him out on it.”

Originally published as NRL 2023: Why Ben Hunt must relinquish Dragons captaincy