Dragons skipper Ben Hunt eyes NRL open market as he claims club ‘doesn’t seem overly keen to keep me’

Ben Hunt has sensationally claimed the St George Illawarra club he captains “doesn’t seem overly keen to keep me” as he prepares to hit the open market.

Dragons skipper Ben Hunt.

Kangaroos veteran Ben Hunt will hit the open market come November 1 after the Dragons skipper sensationally claimed the club “doesn’t seem overly keen to keep me.”

Hunt’s future is again in the headlines as he prepares to take part in Australia’s Pacific Championships campaign.

The 34-year-old has indicated he wants to play on beyond his current deal which expires at the end of 2025 but is of the belief that the Dragons aren’t rushing to make him an offer meaning he will test the market in just three weeks.

HUNT’S NRL FUTURE

Hunt has committed to see out his contract at the Dragons. But beyond that his future remains unclear.

“At this stage I’ll be there (next year),” Hunt said.

“Nothing has changed. I had to get away and freshen up and not think about footy for a while. Unless something extreme happens I’ll probably be there.”

Ben Hunt will hit the open market come November 1. Picture: Getty Images

The 334-gamer wants to play for at least two more seasons which will set him up to become the second-most capped player in the game’s history with Hunt on track to go beyond Cooper Cronk’s 372 game mark. Only Cameron Smith has played more.

But Hunt may be forced to look elsewhere after he claimed the Dragons were reluctant to put a new deal on the table.

“I definitely want to play beyond next year,” Hunt said.

“I’m still feeling good in myself and I feel like I can contribute.

“We’ve had that discussion earlier in the year and it went away. They don’t want to offer me anything so I’ll go to November 1 and see what happens.

“I haven’t shut the doors on anything. The Dragons said they were keen to extend me around April and then they said they’d wait until after Origin.

“Now they want to see how I’m playing next year. It’s all gone quiet and they don’t want to do anything. Doesn’t sound like they are overly keen to keep me.

“It may be in Queensland or somewhere else. I’ll just wait and see. “

St George Illawarra Dragons captain Ben Hunt.

END OF SEASON REVIEW

Hunt insists he has no issue with what was said to him during the end of season post-mortem with coach Shane Flanagan and other coaching staff members.

However it was the public fall-out where elements of the meeting were leaked to the media which has stung Hunt.

“It was disappointing the way the season ended,” Hunt said.

“We set ourselves up to play finals but we crumbled and I was disappointed in the back end of the year.

“A lot of the stuff that was in the media wasn’t said in my review. I don’t know where it came from but it must’ve been said somewhere.

“It was disappointing that a lot of the stuff from my review got out there. I was in a review with the coaches and then it’s the media within a couple of hours. I can’t control that I guess.

“I didn’t leave the review disappointed. I left thinking that they said things that I was thinking. My defence was the best and I fell away in the last month of the season.

“I played a couple of disappointing games and that’s what they said to me.

“I expected that to be said.”

SIGNING GUTHO

The Dragons have bought some much-needed experience in the likes of Valentine Holmes and Damien Cook to help ease the leadership burden on Hunt.

They are also in the mix to sign Clint Gutherson who was granted permission to talk with rival teams for 2026. Hunt said the Dragons should pounce.

“He would be an asset,” Hunt said.

“He is a great competitor. There’s talk of moving him to centre or five-eighth. I think we could sign him to play six.

“He is a real organiser and an experienced guy who could slot in there.”

Clint Gutherson would be an asset to the Dragons, says Ben Hunt. Picture: Getty Images

KANGAROOS GIG

While Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga dumped a host of experienced players, including skipper James Tedesco and state captains Daly Cherry-Evans and Jake Trbojevic, he has kept the faith in Hunt.

Hunt, with 15 Tests, is now the most experienced Kangaroo with Australia to kickstart their Pacific Championships campaign against Tonga in Brisbane on Friday.

“There’s certainly a younger feel walking in,” said Hunt, who joined the squad for camp in Brisbane on Saturday.

Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga has kept the faith in Ben Hunt. Picture: Getty Images

“There are guys I’ve played against that I haven’t really met before like Bradman Best, Mitch Barnett. I briefly met Mitchell Moses at a PM’s XIII game.

“I walk in and you see all these young kids, I was trying to work it out but I think Isaah Yeo is the closest to me at 30.

“Mal still has faith and picking with me when he is going for youth.”

Originally published as Dragons skipper Ben Hunt eyes NRL open market as he claims club ‘doesn’t seem overly keen to keep me’