St George Illawarra Dragons’ Ben Hunt-Cameron McInnes hooker dilemma
The Dragons have turned their season around since moving Ben Hunt from the halves, but the switch could have major consequences for the struggling club.
Dragons
Don't miss out on the headlines from Dragons. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Inspirational St George Illawarra captain Cameron McInnes may need to “explore opportunities” at rival NRL clubs if the Dragons stick with Ben Hunt as the long-term hooker.
That was the frank admission from McInnes’ agent Steve Gillis that should send shockwaves through the Dragons ahead of Saturday’s showdown against Canterbury, a club that is on the look out for an experienced dummy-half.
Wests Tigers will be another club chasing a top-shelf No.9 if they don’t get to keep Harry Grant in 2021.
McInnes, 26, is not off contract until the end of next season and Gillis was adamant the hard working skipper had shown no desire to want out following his recent move to lock.
But despite McInnes’ undeniable loyalty, the reality is there is a genuine concern that his market value will plummet if he continues to play out of position.
Kayo is your ticket to the 2020 NRL Telstra Premiership. Every game of every round Live & On-Demand with no-ad breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your 14-day free trial & start streaming instantly >
While Hunt gets paid $1 million-plus-a-season, McInnes would be lucky to be on a contract worth half of that.
And while McInnes does not want to leave the Dragons, the problem for him is that Hunt is contracted until the end of 2022, with a further year’s option in his favour.
What has also been clear in recent weeks is that Hunt is far more value to the Dragons at dummy half than he is at halfback.
The other issue is the off contract Jack de Belin.
While de Belin is currently sidelined under the NRL’s no fault stand down policy, if de Belin was to be given the green light to return McInnes might struggle to even make the Dragons’ starting team.
But there is no question McInnes would walk into many rival teams as the starting hooker.
It wasn’t so long ago McInnes was challenging Damien Cook for the NSW No.9 job.
Even throughout the Dragons’ tough run over the past year, the one player whose form no one has questioned is McInnes.
Gillis said McInnes had not indicated any interest to explore his options at this point.
“You would have to talk to him but I have spoken to him,” Gillis said.
“I didn’t ring specifically to talk about that.
“But he said, ‘I am happy playing anywhere as long as the team is winning, the boys are playing well, and I am contributing’.
“And that is the type of bloke he is. That is real.
“The Dragons have an extremely high opinion of Cam and see him as a long term member of their playing roster.
“And honestly, he is happy. Cameron is loyal about the club and the team. And if the team is doing better he is happy to play his part.
“But putting my agent’s hat on, at some stage moving forward, we will probably have a discussion whether this (lock) is a long-term position, or whether he will explore opportunities to wear the No.9 jumper.”
MORE NEWS
Major coup: Dogs land second big signing
Johns: Why Pay was doomed at the Dogs
Former champion hooker and Fox League expert Michael Ennis believes McInnes could be a success as a permanent lock in a similar mould to Cam Murray or Victory Radley if that was his desire.
“A lot of the traits he brings to his dummy half work he can implement as a modern day lock,” Ennis said.
“He has a great work ethic, his defensive numbers are always enormous, and he obviously has that ball playing ability.
“It is where Murray and Radley have had a lot of luck being that smaller middle forward.
“And it has worked well over the last few weeks for the Dragons.
“But I suppose the question is whether he wants to do it. That is the biggest question out of all of it.”