Ben Hunt’s blunt reality as Dragons exit looms

4 weeks ago 32

Dragons skipper Ben Hunt has confirmed he’ll deed the unfastened marketplace successful a fewer weeks aft revealing his nine are nary longer funny successful re-signing him.

Hunt, who turns 35 successful the opening period of adjacent season, is contracted until the extremity of adjacent twelvemonth but is determined to play beyond his 36th birthday.

The halfback is inactive successful apical signifier and has been picked successful the Kangaroos squad for the Pacific Championships this month.

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But Hunt says the Dragons are “not overly keen to support me” contempt talks betwixt the parties earlier this twelvemonth astir an hold beyond 2025.

“I decidedly privation to play beyond adjacent year,” Hunt told The Daily Telegraph.

“I’m inactive feeling bully successful myself and I consciousness similar I tin contribute.

“We’ve had that treatment earlier successful the twelvemonth and it went away. They don’t privation to connection maine thing truthful I’ll spell to November 1 and spot what happens.

“I haven’t unopen the doors connected anything. The Dragons said they were keen to widen maine astir April and past they said they’d hold until aft Origin.

“Now they privation to spot however I’m playing adjacent year. It’s each gone quiescent and they don’t privation to bash anything. Doesn’t dependable similar they are overly keen to support me.

“It whitethorn beryllium successful Queensland oregon determination else. I’ll conscionable hold and see. “

Hunt has been linked with a instrumentality to Queensland since doubly requesting a merchandise successful 2023 successful a bid to beryllium person to family, with the Broncos and Titans imaginable landing spots astatine the time.

“I’ve ever said I’ll beryllium unfastened to it if the accidental arose,” helium told AAP.

“Queensland’s home, I’ve had a batch of large times up here, I’ve got a batch of household up here. If that accidental did travel up, I’d ne'er accidental no.”

However, astir precocious Hunt has been linked with a imaginable power to the Bulldogs to adhd immoderate acquisition to their halves.

“At this signifier I’ll beryllium determination (next year),” Hunt said.

“Nothing has changed. I had to get distant and freshen up and not deliberation astir footy for a while. Unless thing utmost happens I’ll astir apt beryllium there.”

Hunt is unfastened to an contiguous determination but Dragons enlistee Damien Cook has implored him to not locomotion retired connected the club.

Hunt was progressive successful a heated cook by manager Shane Flanagan aft their nonaccomplishment to the Eels, which outgo them a finals berth and things person reportedly been tense successful the aftermath betwixt the skipper and the club.

Cook, who signed with the Dragons connected a two-year woody aft being released from the last twelvemonth of his Souths contract, said Hunt was a large portion of his determination to articulation the club.

“He (Hunt) is simply a large crushed wherefore I’m going there,” Cook told The Daily Telegraph.

“I saw him the different time and each things were affirmative for the Dragons.

“I had to spell done it (coming off-contract) and he’s got to spell done it now. He’ll marque a determination that’s champion for him and his family.

“He’s coming towards the extremity of his career. Whether he’s down determination for different mates of years oregon wants to decorativeness up, I don’t know. You’d person to inquire him.

“I’d emotion him to beryllium determination the full clip I’m there.”

The 34-year-old Hunt has played 147 of his 324 NRL games for the Dragons since joining the nine successful 2018 and inactive has a twelvemonth to tally connected his contract.

INJURED STORM HALFBACK EYEING LONG-TERM EXTENSION

Injured Storm halfback Jonah Pezet is reportedly adjacent to a three-year hold with Melbourne amid involvement from NRL rivals including the Knights.

Pezet is presently off-contract astatine the extremity of the 2025 NRL season, meaning helium volition beryllium capable to trial the unfastened marketplace and negociate with rival teams from November 1.

Given the deficiency of prime halfbacks successful the NRL, Pezet is expected to pull involvement from a fig of clubs, with the Knights funny successful his services, but his penchant is reportedly to enactment successful Melbourne.

The Daily Telegraph’s Brent Read reported connected Triple M that Pezet is adjacent to a caller deal, that volition apt see a get retired clause if Jahrome Hughes extends with the club.

“He’s got an connection connected the table, and apparently, it is truly adjacent to getting done,” Brent Read said connected Triple M’s Monday Scrum.

“I don’t deliberation helium peculiarly wants to go...I reckon he’ll person an statement that if Jahrome [Hughes] extends beyond 26, they’ll look astatine letting him go.

“I deliberation the connection they’ve made to him is simply a three-year extension.”

Pezet is coming disconnected an ACL wounded suffered successful April, but is inactive regarded arsenic 1 of the champion young halfbacks successful the game.

Pezet is seen arsenic the semipermanent successor of some Cameron Munster and Jahrome Hughes successful the halves, but helium whitethorn person to permission the nine successful the interim to get much crippled time.

Hughes is signed until 2026, portion Munster is signed until 2027 with the brace perchance playing connected to decorativeness their careers astatine the Storm.

The 21-year-old Pezet has lone appeared successful 10 first-grade matches but has shown that helium has the imaginable to go the Storm’s main playmaker down the track.

SAVAGE OPENS UP ON RAIDERS EXTENSION TALKS

Canberra Raiders extracurricular backmost Xavier Savage has revealed helium wants to stay astatine the nine beyond his existent contract, contempt not proceeding from the nine arsenic yet.

The Raiders winger is off-contract astatine the extremity of adjacent play and is escaped to negociate with rivals from November 1.

However, speaking with The Canberra Times, Savage revealed helium wants to enactment successful Canberra, but is yet to perceive from his manager oregon the club.

“I’m contracted adjacent year. I haven’t spoken astir thing yet successful presumption of re-signing, but hopefully ‘Sticky’ does springiness maine a buzz - oregon idiosyncratic from the club,” Savage told The Canberra Times.

“I’m blessed to stay, but we’ll conscionable spot what happens I conjecture implicit the adjacent month.”

A breakout play successful 2024 Saw Savage displacement from battling for a spot astatine fullback onto the helping permanently with large success, scoring 15 tries successful 24 games successful a stellar campaign.

Prior to 2024, the 22-year-old had managed lone 23 games crossed 3 seasons and lone played erstwhile successful 2023 arsenic helium fell retired of favour.

However, caller disconnected his astir accordant play successful archetypal grade, Savage could perchance beryllium moving backmost to fullback successful 2025 aft Jordan Rapana’s exit to England.

Savage, Kaeo Weekes and Chevy Stewart volition beryllium warring it retired to regenerate Rapana adjacent season, but determination are nary shortage of clubs who request a fullback of his talent.

Weekes could besides beryllium successful the premix for a spot successful the halves aft playing good astatine halfback past season.

However, the signing of Ethan Sanders from the Eels apt means a starting halves operation of Ethan Strange and Jamal Fogarty with Sanders and Weekes providing useful back-up.

Savage has scored 24 tries successful 47 NRL games since his debut successful 2021.

Originally published arsenic Ben Hunt’s blunt world arsenic St George Illawarra Dragons exit looms

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