‘That didn’t come from me’: Tyson Frizell hits back at early exit talk
Tyson Frizell insists he never considered trying to leave St George Illawarra early and maintains he is committed to finishing his stay on a high this year.
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Tyson Frizell insists he never considered trying to leave St George Illawarra early and maintains he is committed to finishing his stay on a high this year.
Frizell will part ways with the Dragons at the end of this season for Newcastle, having knocked back a new NRL contract with the Red V earlier this season.
News of Frizell’s looming deal with the Knights broke during the coronavirus lockdown, prompting questions over whether he was set for a mid-season move.
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Frizell has since confirmed he will see out the year, and on Wednesday insisted the option of leaving early never entered his mind.
“Never at any point was I looking for the door,” Frizell said.
“Even the past week or the start of the year there was no link there for me to move elsewhere. I’m really happy with where I am at the moment.
“I still think we can do a lot with this side and that’s my sole focus for me and the rest of the year, to do everything I can to get this team up to where it should be.
“I still think we can do a lot with this side. I’m just focused on doing everything I can to get this team where it needs to be.”
The 28-year-old was subject to rumours last year that he was unhappy at the club, but denied then that was the case - a stance he repeated on Wednesday.
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“There’s no not being happy or anything like that,” Frizell said.
“That didn’t come from me, I’m not sure where that’s come from.
“That didn’t play any part of my decision for next year.
“I just think it’s a good opportunity to go to Newcastle. It’s time for a change in my life and career ... to go up there and play for the next few seasons.
“There are no secrets for why I did it.”
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Meanwhile the mood at the Dragons has notably improved following Sunday’s first win of the season over Cronulla.
Saturday’s clash with bottom-placed Gold Coast is a crucial one, with victory maintaining the Dragons within striking distance of the top eight.
Ben Hunt has again trained at dummy-half and will come off the bench. The 30-year-old is resigned to spending some time out of the halves after a poor start to the year.
“I understand the game and how I have been playing, and I haven’t been up to scratch,” Hunt said.
“It’s just playing good footy ... if the opportunity comes up I need to be ready to take it on.
“It’s not going to come overnight. I need to do a lot of things right at training and games to get back to playing the style of football I can.”
Originally published as ‘That didn’t come from me’: Tyson Frizell hits back at early exit talk