Ben Hunt’s contract saga uncovers uncomfortable St George Illawarra Dragons trait

St George Illawarra decided enough was enough as they refused to let a star walk, but the move exposed an ugly truth about the club.

Dragons captain Ben Hunt. Picture: NRL Imagery

COMMENT

St George Illawarra’s history is dogged with more weird commitment issues than the Rudd-Gillard-Rudd government.

They extended Anthony Griffin on the cusp of a payout, upped Jack de Belin’s deal while in purgatory, and recently, irritated a guy on a million of their own dollars.

In fact, the only relationship the merged entity has maintained is their own, even though it’s an abomination too.

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But by roadblocking Ben Hunt’s request for a release, perhaps this beleaguered club is finally ready to put away its loose fountain pen and settle down.

While nobody truly believes the club’s stoic riposte of “working with him throughout the remainder of his playing contract” will actually happen, at least this time the joint paid homage to the terms of agreement.

Hunt’s request to leave with two-and-a-half years remaining on his deal – after only recommitting a mere six months earlier – was set to be the latest of the club’s checkered contract extensions.

Never mind it also plunged the joint venture to a new nadir as a workplace, with the club now so undesirable that players will offer $150,000 of their own money to leave.

No doubt Hunt would’ve saved this amount on parking alone by leaving Sydney, but it still resurfaced an uncomfortable trait.

Why’d I sign that extension. (Photo by Jason McCawley/Getty Images)

Hunt’s enjoyment at the Dragons was heavily linked to coach Anthony Griffin. (Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)

Whether self-inflicted or not, a St George-Illawarra contract extension is so watery that Shane Flanagan isn’t even on the clock yet and they’ve already offered him two more years and a payout.

If it’s warding off ghost suitors or simply just clerical errors, somewhere along the line the four walls of the Dragons club became infested with more commitment phobia than Taylor Swift.

But by shaking off the doormat tag with Hunt, are the club’s days of pimping out finally done?

It’s been a period of tumult at the joint venture, with Hunt last week emerging from five days inside Queensland camp to declare he never wants to be in Sydney again.

While many filed the halfback’s actions away as more brainwashing by Queensland’s branch cult, everyone knew the real reason he wanted out wasn’t ‘homesickness’.

It was the Griffin saga, the Jason Ryles catfish and the poor turnout at his 300th game dinner, plus BarbecueGate, player misbehaviour, the loss of a major sponsor, the club’s permanent lease outside the top eight, and of course, because he’s the Darius to Hook’s Wayne.

The face of a man who realises he’s still a Dragon. (Photo by Jason McCawley/Getty Images)

Shane Flanagan has an almighty job on his hands. (Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)

If – or when – the Dragons succumb to his request, Hunt will join Griffin, Paul McGregor, Steve Price and the St George Bank as clients to prematurely evacuate whether by choice or by cut.

And if the Hunt decision is ultimately a false dawn and he gets his wish of leaving behind the threat of playing hooker at the Dragons to play hooker at the Broncos, it’s time for the joint venture to make serious changes.

The club must get fair dinkum and do away with recommitment.

In fact, ban contracts altogether. Replace them with something more suitable, like Airtasker.

The Dragons need to focus solely on offering shorter deals and I’m not talking year to year, I’d start with set to set.

Entering talks after every fifth tackle would go a long way to ensure they’re not continually treated like a door mat with an ATM, a significantly better scenario than being treated like the St George Illawarra Dragons.

– Dane Eldridge is a warped cynic yearning for the glory days of rugby league, a time when the sponges were magic and the Mondays were mad. He’s never strapped on a boot in his life, and as such, should be taken with a grain of salt.