NRL 2022: Dragons ramp up bid to lock in new deals for Ben Hunt and Talatau Amone
The Dragons have ramped up negotiations with skipper Ben Hunt and one of the club’s brightest young stars.
St George Illawarra has started negotiations with the game’s in-form player Ben Hunt to keep him at the club until his mid-30s.
News Corp has learnt the Dragons met with Hunt’s management on Thursday and are in the process of finalising a two-year extension to have their skipper retire at the club.
Hunt still has 12 months to go on his deal but the Dragons do not want him to hit the open market come November 1.
St George Illawarra boss Ryan Webb confirmed the club had kickstarted talks.
“We have started the process to extend Ben, and we’re very hopeful we can keep him at the club long-term,” Webb said. “He is an important person on the field and has a tremendous impact off it.”
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Both parties are confident they will be able to get the deal done as soon as next month.
It is understood there are no plans to shift Hunt into the No.9 jersey he dominated in for the Maroons during Origin. The deal would see Hunt turn 35 in the final year of his contract.
If he remains injury free, he could also become just the game’s fifth player to surpass the 350-game mark.
Hunt will play his 285th first grade game on Sunday in St George Illawarra’s clash against North Queensland.
He was considering making a return to his native Queensland but wants to try and secure a deal with the Dragons before looking elsewhere.
Hunt arrived at St George Illawarra on the club’s richest deal. He originally signed a five-year deal worth more than $5 million after leaving the Broncos at the end of 2018.
He took up a sixth year option for next season and has risen to become the club’s captain and best player – winning their player of the year award last year.
Hunt sat two points clear of Penrith’s Isaah Yeo when Dally M voting went behind closed doors and, barring injury, is likely to walk away with the NRL’s top individual prize at season’s end.
The Dragons are also closing in on locking down Hunt’s halves partner, Talatau Amone, to a new deal. Amone, who was courted by the Dolphins, is now expected to commit to the Dragons before his own deal ends at the end of next year.
If the Dragons lock in Amone and Hunt as expected, it could have an impact on Jayden Sullivan’s future at the club.
Sullivan re-signed this year on a deal until the end of 2025 with the hope he would combine with Amone as St George Illawarra’s long-term halves pairing.
The Dragons are yet to decide if they will pursue a hooker for next season, having held talks with the Roosters’ Sam Verrills and Tigers duo Jake Simpkin and Jacob Liddle.
Eels loophole could seal Taupau’s Manly defection
-David Riccio
Parramatta are willing to stand Marty Taupau down from playing against Manly on Friday, if that’s what it takes to get a deal done.
In a last-ditch bid to secure his long-term future, Taupau has just 48-hours to execute his departure from the Sea Eagles after requesting a release on Friday to join the Eels for the remainder of the season.
Without a contract beyond November 1, the 32-year-old fears his NRL career could be over if he’s unable to take-up the offer to join Parramatta.
The Eels would be willing to sign Taupau for 2023, in the belief the Kiwi International will add experience and grunt to a forward pack that is facing an exodus at the end of this season.
Taupau has spent the past seven seasons with Manly and hasn’t made the request to leave lightly.
The decision has reached a tipping point with players having until August 1 - this Monday - to switch between clubs.
The Eels are one club that have left salary cap room for a late-season signing.
Delivering Parramatta forward Nathan Brown, who has been told he can find another club beyond this season, to Manly as a swap for Taupau has been mentioned, but has failed to gain any traction.
Taupau’s request has so far been denied by ninth-placed Manly who have one eye on the finals and the other on the sixth-placed Eels, who they will host at Four Pines Park on Friday night.
The Sea Eagles are loath to hand one of their main rivals a leg-up before playing them.
Manly also view Taupau as a marquee forward and know that the Kiwi International is crucial to keeping their finals hopes alive.
The Sea Eagles also have forwards Sean Keppie (shoulder), Karl Lawton (knee), Ben Trbojevic (concussion) and Morgan Boyle (ankle) either unavailable to play this week or have been ruled out for the rest of the season.
Speaking after his side’s 34-10 win over Penrith on Friday night, Eels coach Brad Arthur said the ball is in Manly’s court over Taupau’s potential early release.
“That’s up to Manly,” Arthur said.
“He would be handy for us, but that’s not our call. That is Manly’s call.”
The Eels are one club that have left salary cap room for a late-season signing.
Not only would the experienced enforcer be a shot at playing finals footy at the Eels, the move would also likely extend his NRL career beyond its current 14th season.
The 32-year-old front-rower would prove a valuable addition to a Parramatta pack which is preparing for a forward exodus.
Marata Niukore, Isaiah Papalii, Reed Mahoney, Ray Stone and Oregon Kaufusi are all leaving the Eels at the end of this season.
Taupau has proven a mainstay of the Sea Eagles pack for the past seven seasons and his experience is a major lure for the blue and golds.
Taupau requests immediate release
Marty Taupau may have played his last game for Manly after asking for an immediate release from the club.
The Kiwi International is without a contract next season and his management has asked the Sea Eagles for permission to join a rival franchise, which is believed to be Parramatta.
Players have until August 1 - this coming Monday - to switch clubs and Taupau has a motivation to link with Parramatta.
The Eels are one club that have left salary cap room for a late-season signing.
Not only would the experienced enforcer be a shot at playing finals footy at the Eels, the move would also likely extend his NRL career beyond its current 14th season.
The 32-year-old front-rower would prove a valuable addition to a Parramatta pack which is preparing for a forward exodus.
Marata Niukore, Isaiah Papalii, Reed Mahoney, Ray Stone and Oregon Kaufusi are all leaving the Eels at the end of this season.
Taupau has proven a mainstay of the Sea Eagles pack for the past seven seasons and his experience is a major lure.
After a torrid week due to a personal matter unrelated to the club’s jersey controversy, Taupau ran for 94-metres while producing four offloads and a tackle bust in Manly’s loss to the Roosters on Thursday night.
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