NRL 2023: Inside story of how Ben Hunt lost confidence in Dragons’ management

The inside story on the Ben Hunt saga and how he lost complete respect for St George Illawarra’s management over a long period, via PHIL ROTHFIELD.

The Dragons have rejected a release request from Ben Hunt. Picture: Getty

Ben Hunt’s manager has confirmed he wants out from St George Illawarra because he has lost confidence in the management of the Dragons.

“He still cares about the players and the team,” said his agent Col Davis.

“He’s never once mentioned he doesn’t like playing with them … but the management have worn him down.”

Two weeks ago Davis picked up his phone and rang the Dragons’ head of football Ben Haran.

It was a short and sharp conversation around the time negotiations fell over with Jason Ryles.

The Queensland and Kangaroos star wanted out, not at the end of the season, but immediately.

They have until an August 7 deadline to get release sorted for this year to join a rival club.

Hunt is disillusioned over a number of issues but mostly around senior management, the CEO Ryan Webb and chairman Andrew Lancaster.

Ben Hunt has confirmed he wants out of the Dragons. Picture: Getty Images

The sacking of his great friend Anthony Griffin hurt as well.

Davis was reluctant to go into more detail on the eve of State Origin.

“I’ll let Ben get through the game,” he said, “He’s got his Origin head on.

“It’s all out there now. We’ll chat again after the game.”

Webb indicated the release request was not a huge surprise.

“Over the last couple of weeks in talking to Ben and his manager he talked about frustration and we knew Ben wanted to be winning and he wanted us to be in a better place than where we are right now,” Webb told Triple M.

“So it had been mentioned informally and we knew there were a few things bubbling around the back but it wasn’t until this morning that formally we got something written.”

Hunt finally confirmed rugby league’s worst kept secret in a text message early on Sunday morning. At 7.10am he texted me: “Hi Buzz, can confirm the club has been made aware of my request for a release.”

He did not go into further detail.

Other sources confirmed he wanted out straight away.

Ben Hunt has confirmed his desire to leave the Dragons.

That he didn’t even want to return to Wollongong after the Origin game on Wednesday night.

So we checked in with Gold Coast Titans chief executive Steve Mitchell at the club that has been mentioned as Hunt’s most likely destination.

I asked if the Titans could fit Maroons star into the salary cap for the remainder of the season.

That there are four months left in the rugby league financial year and they could squeeze him in for $250,000 for the rest of the season, then big money for 2024-25.

“I can’t comment on our salary cap or recruitment,” he said.

“It’s a matter for Ben and the Dragons.”

Maybe a player swap with someone like Sam Verrills, Jayden Campbell or Origin forward Moeaki Fotuaika would help.

Then there’s the Bulldogs situation.

The Dragons have rejected a release request from Ben Hunt. Picture: Getty

Both Phil Gould and Cameron Ciraldo have been hammering on Hunt’s door for several weeks.

They’re desperately keen and believe he is the playmaker who could deliver a premiership to Belmore in the next two years.

Perhaps they are unaware of the NRL’s anti-tampering rules although they will argue that they are only expressing an interest should the halfback be successful in gaining a release.

So his future now rests with incoming Dragons coach Shane Flanagan.

On Sunday morning Flanagan was still insisting Hunt won’t get a release.

“He’ll be captain and our halfback and we’ll move forward.” he said, “He’s got a contract.”

Flanagan and Webb will work on convincing Hunt to change his mind once the Origin period is over.

Shane Flanagan has rejected Ben Hunt’s request. Picture: Getty

“The onus is on us to show him why he should be staying and convince him that things that are frustrating him, that we can turn that around,” Webb said.

“And conversations with Shane, who’s done it before, if you put those things together you can get him back on board and show him how we’re going to get some success, I think he come back. He’s a professional, if he can see we’re heading in the right direction I don’t think it will be an issue.”

This is now a seriously difficult situation for the Dragons.

Why pay a player $1 million-a-season who so obviously doesn’t want to be there.

Hunt is a good person. He’s not erratic, he is not outspoken, but very old school.

He was disappointed not one official turned up to his recent 300-game dinner.

He thinks the club lacks direction and has for some time. Simple as that.

Public opinion and the Dragons fan base will be most interesting.

Surprisingly in a Twitter poll I posted on Sunday morning, 69 per cent favoured him being granted a release. Time will tell ... but once again the Dragons find themselves under the pump.

Originally published as NRL 2023: Inside story of how Ben Hunt lost confidence in Dragons’ management