St George Illawarra won’t release captain Ben Hunt from his contract

Ben Hunt has received some bad news on Monday morning, just hours after news of his potential mid-season move to an NRL heavyweight emerged.

Ben Hunt of the Dragons warms up before the start of the round 11 NRL match between North Queensland Cowboys and St George Illawarra Dragons at Qld Country Bank Stadium on May 13, 2023 in Townsville, Australia. (Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)

Wantaway St George Illawarra captain Ben Hunt is expected to suit up for the Dragons against Cronulla on Thursday night after his request for an immediate release was reportedly denied by the club.

Hunt’s teammates were left to face the media on Monday morning while the skipper met with club officials to sort through the mess after the star playmaker revealed he wanted to return home to Queensland immediately.

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Amid reports he could join NRL ladder leaders Brisbane for the rest of the season, before joining the Gold Coast Titans on a permanent deal from 2024, Hunt met with a group including incoming coach Shane Flanagan on the back of last Friday’s horror 48-18 loss to the Warriors.

Despite the circus Hunt’s decision has created, it’s understood the club won’t release him and wants him to possibly even see out the remainder of his contract, which runs until the end of 2025.

Ben Hunt of the Dragons playing against the Warriors on Friday D (Photo by Jason McCawley/Getty Images)

In a statement on Monday morning club CEO Ryan Webb said it was committed to “working with” Hunt to get the desired outcome.

“The club listened to Ben’s concerns and is committed to working with him throughout the remainder of his playing contract as both Ben and the club share a common goal of winning football games and building a successful football club,” Webb said.

Hunt said he was now preparing to play the Sharks.

“I appreciated the open and honest discussion and will continue to work alongside the club and now focus on our game against the Sharks this Thursday night,” he said.

Hunt will line up for the Dragons this week. Picutre: NRL Photos

On Monday morning teammate Jacob Liddle, who didn’t know what was happening at Hunt’s meeting, said the latest drama added to a tough year for the Dragons who sit last on the NRL table.

“It hasn’t been the most straightforward year,” he said.

“It’s still no excuse. The way we’ve played hasn’t been good enough.”

Hunt wasn’t expected to train with his teammates until Wednesday, having said after the game last Friday ninth he was keen to “get it sorted out” and wanted a resolution one way or the other.

“I’ll have a meeting with the club this week and we’ll get to the end of it,” Hunt said.

“I‘m still the captain of the team and I’ll always show up for my role. Until that’s changed, I’ll keep coming.”