Ben Hunt ‘salary shamed’ as Dragons captaincy crisis exposed

Ben Hunt’s relationship with the Dragons has been further strained with new details of his infamous meeting with Shane Flanagan emerging.

Ben Hunt’s relationship with the Dragons has been further strained with new details of his infamous meeting with Shane Flanagan emerging.

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It has now been speculated Hunt’s future with the club is deteriorating and he is expected to voluntarily step down as captain.

It was widely reported last month Hunt, whose contract is worth over $1 million a season, was told “his performances – including his defence, kicking game and leadership – when his team’s finals hopes hung in the balance were not befitting of his standing in the side”.

The club has also shelved a proposed contract extension for the moment.

According to the SMH’s Danny Weidler, Hunt was “salary shamed”.

“The situation is unworkable and the best thing is for Hunt to walk away from the club,” Weidler wrote in his weekly column.

“You will remember Hunt was forced to stay when he asked for an early release last year.

“Then at the end of the season he was criticised for being on a big contract. It feels like the time is up on the relationship between player and club, and a fresh start for both is needed.”

However, the situation is clouded by the lack of options the Dragons have to replace Hunt in the halves.

The club also has limited options to replace Hunt as captain with Jack de Belin reported to be the other dominant voice in the dressing room. Club officials have previously warded off handing the captaincy to de Belin because of his off-field court matters where he was exiled under the NRL’s no-fault stand down policy.

Leading NRL journo Michael Chammas told Channel 9’s Sunday Footy Show it is unlikely Hunt will leave the club this off-season simply because there are no obvious solutions to step into the No. 7 jumper.

It has been a long year for the Dragons. Photo by Matt King/Getty Images.

After a big off-season recruitment drive where the club picked up Valentine Holmes and Damien Cook, the Dragons’ forward pack and outside backs look just as good as any other team in the competition. The club has also been linked with the potential acquisition of Eels star Clinton Gutherson.

It shows the club is in a position to challenge for the finals in 2025, but not if Hunt — or another top-line halfback — isn’t there.

“I think the Dragons, if they found an alternative, would be willing to part ways,” Chammas said.

“But who’s the alternative?”

He went on to say: “There is no doubt some tension over what happened in that meeting (with Flanagan).

“Will it mean that Ben Hunt leaves? Look, as it stands right now, I don’t think so. Because you can’t go into next season with Kyle Flanagan and a “maybe” as your six and seven.

“They can’t go backwards.”

Chammas said the club may be forced to look at recruits Cook or Holmes to step in as captain.

“I have a feeling that Ben Hunt may relinquish the captaincy willingly,” he said.

“And then who would step up? That’s the problem with St George. Maybe you go with someone who’s new. Maybe you go with Damien Cook or Val Holmes because the leader in that football team, if you ask the club, is Jack de Belin, and we know that in the past they’ve been reluctant to hand Jack de Belin, the captaincy, given his previous issues that he’s had.

“So I wouldn’t be surprised if Ben Hunt comes back and says, ‘You know what, I’m just going to focus on my footy, give the captaincy to somebody else’.”

Hunt has been linked with moves to the Gold Coast and the Roosters.

Rugby league Immortal Andrew Johns said in September Hunt won’t play another game for St George Illawarra.

Ben Hunt has carried the Dragons in recent seasons.

The situation becomes all the more intriguing after Hunt postured for a release last season after the sacking of former coach and close friend Anthony Griffin.

Hunt said he wanted to return to Queensland “for family reasons”.

He appeared to only stay after Flanagan convinced him to be part of the rebuild and the Dragons refused to release him from his contract.

The 34-year-old 334-game NRL veteran admitted he had “regrets about parts of it”, adding “If I could take the time back, I would do it differently.”

However, a season on, Johns believes if Hunt does push for a move, the Dragons might look to move on the veteran half.

In his seven seasons at the club, Hunt has played in just one finals campaign, a semi-final run in 2018.

Johns believes the situation might be right for a three-way move with Hunt to the Titans, Gold Coast hooker Sam Verrills to the Roosters to cover the injured Brandon Smith and Storm utility Tyran Wishart to the Dragons.

“I’ve heard Sam Verrills may be going back to the Roosters … have a look at Brandon Smith, he won’t play until mid-next year,” Johns said on WWOS’ Freddy and the Eighth.

“So that opens the way for Ben Hunt to go to the Titans.

“Because Ben Hunt has been (saying) the last couple of years ‘I want to go back to Queensland’.

“Yeah, I do (think they will let him go).”

With the Roosters losing halfback Sam Walker for the 2025 season, the Bondi club was also linked with a potential move to chase Hunt.

Originally published as Ben Hunt ‘salary shamed’ as Dragons captaincy crisis exposed