NRL Market Watch: Titans urged to target Ben Hunt following Des Hasler’s key roster move

New Titans coach Des Hasler has made a key roster move and now he’s been urged to launch a fresh bid to lure disgruntled Dragons star Ben Hunt.

The Titans have been urged to have another crack at bringing disgruntled Dragons star Ben Hunt to the Gold Coast after making a crucial roster move.

The release of coward punch victim Treymain Spry from his 2024 NRL contract has opened up a spot in Gold Coast’s squad for new coach Des Hasler to land his first recruit.

With Spry on their books, the Titans had maxed out their top 30 squad allotment before the pre-season started earlier this month.

However Spry’s departure, by mutual agreement after he didn’t play an NRL game last season, has given Hasler the flexibility to bolster his Titans squad ahead of his first season in charge.

The Titans’ recruitment strategy has seemingly been to make forwards their highest-paid players.

The likes of Queensland Origin trio Tino Fa’asuamaleaui, David Fifita and Moeaki Fotuaika command close to $3 million-a-season between them while Beau Fermor and Isaac Liu are among the club’s higher earners.

New Titans coach Des Hasler can sign a new player. Will it be Ben Hunt? Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

That has left the Titans short on depth in key position players, particularly in the incredibly important halves.

Complicating Hasler’s playmaking predicament is the fact his first-choice pairing of Kieran Foran and Tanah Boyd are unable to train.

Foran is on leave after featuring for New Zealand in the Pacific Championships while Boyd is on the comeback trail from shoulder surgery and won’t commence full training until around Christmas.

That has left three-game NRL rookie Tom Weaver as the sole recognised half available in the early stages of pre-season training.

The Titans were linked to Hunt, who requested a release from the remaining two years of his Dragons contract to return to Queensland.

Incoming Dragons coach Shane Flanagan rejected the request and Hunt has remained with St George Illawarra.

However Titans fullback AJ Brimson said Hunt, a Queensland Origin teammate last season, would be a quality pick-up.

Ben Hunt wants to quit the Dragons. Picture: Brett Hemmings/Getty Images

“He’s a good player, he is a freak,” he said.

“Any team that he’s in, he’s going to help play finals and win a comp.

“I don’t think ‘Flanno’ (Flanagan) is going to let him go. We’ll see. Funnier things have happened.”

While he has a quality forward pack at his disposal, Hasler has some big decisions to make around the make-up of his best 17.

Weaver has thrown his hat in the mix for the No. 7 jersey while Hasler has three fullback contenders in Brimson, Jayden Campbell and Keano Kini.

Hooker Sam Verrills is also out to prove a point following an injury-riddled first season at the Titans.

Prop Jaimin Jolliffe acknowledged the Titans were short on halves but Weaver had stepped up in the early weeks of training.

“We’ve got a couple of great halves on train-and-trial as well. They are doing exceptionally,” he said. “These boys will start coming back and integrating in. At the moment it’s only ‘Weaves’ from the top 30 that’s out there running around.”