NRL: Ben Hunt not the leader Dragons need, Alex McKinnon replies to Dom Young critics
Ben Hunt and new coach Shane Flangan may have ironed out their differences, but even if the Maroons star stays at the club he cannot be allowed to lead it, writes PAUL CRAWLEY.
NRL
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How does Ben Hunt remain as St George Illawarra captain?
It must be completely disheartening for long suffering Dragons fans to continually hear their skipper publicly concede that the is only staying under duress.
Yet again last weekend another story emerged how Hunt still wants to return to Queensland, but new coach Shane Flanagan “is digging his heels in”.
“At this stage, I’ll be heading back to the Dragons for the pre-season,” Hunt told Nine Newspapers.
That came on the same day this masthead ran a story quoting Flanagan that the Dragons and Hunt had “ironed out” their differences.
Seriously, how could Dragons fans continue to support Hunt when he continues to show such a lack of gratitude, despite pocketing in excess of $1 million-a-season for six years.
But good on the Dragons for standing their ground.
If Hunt really wants to return to Queensland no one can stop him from doing that.
But he should not be allowed to play for another NRL club for the duration of his existing contract that expires at the end of 2025.
YOUNG REPAYING FAITH SHOWN BY MCKINNON AND O’BRIEN
Alex McKinnon is not the type of bloke who says ‘I told you so’.
But when Newcastle’s former recruitment boss publicly declared three years ago that Dominic Young would end up “a cult hero for the Knights for the next 10 years, I got smashed massively”.
We called McKinnon to get his take on the giant Englishman’s extraordinary season on the back of the Knights’ 10 straight wins heading into Saturday’s elimination semi final against the Warriors.
McKinnon explained how he was sitting on the hill at McDonald Jones Stadium last Sunday as Young brought the crowd to life as he raced down the touchline for his two tries.
McKinnon had put his own reputation on the line to sign Young after watching him playing a schoolboys match in England.
And when the now 22-year-old arrived in the NRL there were a lot of people (including this columnist) questioning if the Knights had made the right call.
I told McKinnon how I raised the question at the time as to why the Knights wouldn’t give the opportunity to a young local from the Hunter instead going all the way to the other side of the world to sign a teenager so raw.
“I remember you saying that on NRL 360 because I watch it all the time,” McKinnon continued.
“But I didn’t receive that from a position of frustration because I know all the kids in the Hunter, and through confidence of watching everybody else I know that there is no one else out there like him.
“If I had a doubt I didn’t think he could be a winger (he thought Young should play centres). I told everyone that, I told Adam (O’Brien) that.
“But I wrote an article three years ago and it was my first one for Fox Sports and I said: Dom Young will be a cult hero for the Knights for the next 10 years, and I got smashed massively. But look at him now.”
And even though Young is departing to the Roosters next season, McKinnon has certainly been proven right.
Asked if Young’s performances last Sunday filled him with pride, McKinnon typically downplayed his role: “I don’t know how to explain it. It might sound a bit weird but I had only just got the job and Adam backed me massively.
“I obviously took the risk, but Adam backed me.
“Obviously I have a pretty close connection with Adam and to see Dom go and do that, it makes me stoked that Adam’s the coach and that he gets to reap the reward of it.”
TIMING PERFECT FOR BRONCOS TO CHASE WALKER
You talk about perfect timing.
The Roosters comeback kid Sam Walker has put himself in the prime position to become the NRL’s next $1m man when he comes off contract at the time Adam Reynolds and Daly Cherry-Evans are at short odds to be announcing their retirement.
Even though the 21-year-old Queenslander still has two more years to run on his existing contract, it makes him a free agent heading into the 2026 season.
Reynolds, 33, has a year to run on his existing Broncos deal but is expected to negotiate for another year, potentially leaving the Broncos with a big hole to fill at the exact time Walker becomes available.
Meanwhile, Cherry-Evans, 34, is also contracted until the end of 2025.
Of the other superstar No 7s, Nathan Cleary is contracted until the end of 2027, Mitchell Moses the end of 2026 (with a player option for two further years) and Jahrome Hughes 2026.
While Walker has made it abundantly clear he loves the Roosters, you can guarantee he will be in huge demand after the way he has rebounded from such a turbulent season.
After all that happened you wouldn’t have blamed him for coming back a bit gun shy. Instead, he’s returned guns blazing.
When last week’s game against the Sharks was on the line it was Walker who wanted the ball in his hands to own the match winning field goal.
Now he faces an even bigger test against the gun Storm halves Hughes and Cameron Munster.
But it’s been a testament to not only his talent but his character how he’s fired back to help keep the Roosters’ season alive.
SMITH’S CHANCE TO KO CRITICS AND STORM
Do we still rank Brandon Smith up with the dud buys of the season?
Is he really an elite dummy half, or is his service too slow?
Does his body shape suit the new age No 9, or is he better suited to playing lock?
Does he take the game seriously enough, or spend too much time playing practical joker?
Is a bloke with so many rough edges, on and off the field, really worth $800,000-a-season?
Let’s see a show of hands who hasn’t had a crack at Smith or the Roosters’ recruitment strategy this year, given this is just some of the criticism that has been thrown at Smith during what has been a rollercoaster season.
But in what has turned out to be a promoter’s dream, it now has the chance to end with Smith delivering the knockout punch on not just his critics, but also his former club.
And the man who inadvertently drove him out of Melbourne, Harry Grant, when the Roosters and Storm go head-to-head in Friday’s elimination semi-final.
‘THE DOMINO EFFECT’
NRL 360 host Braith Anasta pretty much summed up the general consensus just four months ago when he pointed to Smith’s form being detrimental to Sam Walker and Luke Keary during the Roosters’ struggles that came to a head when Walker was sensationally dropped.
“I said 12 months ago when he signed that I think Brandon Smith is a lock,” Anasta said in May.
“His service out of dummy half is not where it needs to be for a premier nine going to a premier club where they needed good service to running halves … because of that, they’ve brought in Joey Manu (to play five-eighth), because Sam Walker (a ball runner) is struggling … Luke Keary is a runner of the ball.
“No one is straightening up the attack and creating opportunities and getting defenders to commit which is taking (James) Tedesco out of the play.
“He is taking hit-ups and having to go looking for the ball because he’s not getting it in time and space.
“(Joseph) Suaalii is copping it but he’s not getting quality ball either. There’s a domino effect.”
This is certainly not pointing the finger at Anasta because at the time it was bang on the money.
Or at least almost everyone outside the Roosters’ inner sanctum would have agreed with the comments.
LIABILITY TO X FACTOR
But looking at Smith’s form in recent weeks, the turnaround has been extraordinary.
He has literally gone from a liability who was spending massive chunks of games sitting on the bench or filling in at lock (while playing second fiddle to young Sandon Smith), to the X factor with his charges out of dummy half having a dramatic impact on the Roosters’ revival.
In fact, since the Roosters’ 32-10 loss to the Broncos in round 22, a defeat many thought had sunk the Chooks’ season when they dropped to 14th on the ladder, it’s like a switch has flicked inside Smith that has helped spark the Roosters to life.
From that point they have won their next six games, culminating in their brave 13-12 win over the Sharks, where Smith had another blinder.
And highlighting just the last four games, Smith’s stats have gone through the roof.
From averaging 55 minutes during the first 12 rounds to 69 over the past month, while his run metres are up from 43 to 72, and average possessions 65 to 97.
Now Smith and the Roosters get the chance to shove it down everyone’s throats.
‘DID HE SAY THAT?’
While everyone loves the loveable rogue Smith is, one thing he doesn’t seem to mind is giving the opposition ammunition.
And there’s also no question Smith has made a habit of putting himself in danger when he opens his mouth too wide, like he did again this week.
Smith couldn’t help himself firing a shot across the Storm’s bow with yet another typically unfiltered comment that Melbourne played “putrid” in last week’s loss to Brisbane.
“Did he say that,” Cameron Munster laughed when told of Smith’s barb.
“He pretty much says what comes off the top of his head, a little bit like myself.
“But we will see who has the last laugh on Friday night.”
It brought back memories of another of Smith’s cheeky jibes back in round one.
When former Storm forward now Dolphins enforcer Felise Kaufusi produced one of the shots of the season (that also ignited a monumental upset) after Smith chipped Kaufusi for making a mistake.
NOW HARRY GRANT IS STRUGGLING
Yet as Smith finally delivers on the form we have been waiting to see all season, the man responsible for pushing him out of the Storm has his own questions to answer this week.
Coming off the back of arguably the worst NRL game Grant has ever played, the concern is a long season has finally caught up with the Storm who were absolutely blown off the park by the Broncos.
When Smith made the call to leave the Storm, he conceded the decision to extend Grant’s contract was the main reason he had to go.
He said last October while appearing on a podcast with James Graham: “Melbourne offered me a contract but they’d just re-signed Harry Grant. So, for me, I didn’t really have an option.”
‘I WANT TO WIN A PREMIERSHIP IN THAT JERSEY’
Though he certainly had an option keeping his inner feelings to himself when he also upset the Storm when Smith spoke of his desire to win a premiership with the Roosters, while still with a year to run on his contract with the Storm.
It came after Smith revealed he had been overwhelmed by Mitch Aubusson’s passionate pitch about why Smith should make the move following a round of golf with the former Roosters’ Mr Fit-It and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves.
“It pretty much wanted to make you cry,” Smith said back in 2021.
“I was just looking at the Roosters jersey as he was saying it and I had goosebumps. I was looking at it going, ‘I want to win a premiership in that jersey’.”
Even though Smith later apologised for the comment, from there his future was sealed.
TIME FOR PAYBACK?
Now, two years down the track, this date with destiny has arrived.
Whoever wins the battle of the dummy halves will go a long way to deciding which team goes through to the preliminary final against the reigning back-to-back premiers Penrith the following week.
Surely Grant, who few would argue is the NRL’s best dummy half, can’t play as poorly again.
But after his own forgettable start to the season, this is Smith’s chance to finally get the last word, or should that be the last laugh, as Munster put it.
Originally published as NRL: Ben Hunt not the leader Dragons need, Alex McKinnon replies to Dom Young critics
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