The St. George Illawarra Dragons have confirmed the signing of Ben Hunt to a massive five-year deal, a signing sure to ignite the NRL’s most boring attack.
Ben Hunt is more than just a signing. Hunt symbolises a changing of fortunes for the Dragons, a club that has missed out on every high-profile player they’ve targeted in recent years. A club that only scored 40 points more than the Newcastle Knights in 2016. A club that’s just down on its luck.
Last year, Ben Hunt managed 23 try assists on his own, only one less than Gareth Widdop and Benji Marshall combined. Hunt also scored 11 tries, four more than Gareth Widdop and Benji Marshall combined. In short, Hunt’s attacking game cannot be doubted. And 2016 was considered a bad season for Ben Hunt after his infamous Grand Final performance.
The halfback will form a dangerous right edge combination with New South Welshmen and incumbent Kangaroo Tyson Frizell, as well as Kiwi winger Jason Nightingale. While in terms of their on-field performance, Hunt’s exit will hurt Brisbane. But financially it will boost them, with star’s Anthony Milford, Darius Boyd, James Roberts, Jordan Kahu, Andrew McCullough and more off-contract at the end of the year.
The Kangaroo’s representative’s recruitment is only the first step to rebuilding the Dragon’s struggling attack. Josh Dugan’s future at fullback is clouded after managing only a single try assist in the entirety of last season – a simple catch and pass in the final round against the hapless Knights, a team they only beat by two points in the final minute. A move from fullback to centre would open the door for young custodian Matt Dufty to debut in the number one jersey, a junior who managed 22 try assists in 2016.
While Gareth Widdop has failed to live up to expectations since signing with the Red V, though the jury is still out on him, having not paired with a halfback in his prime since Cooper Cronk in his Melbourne days. The signing of Cameron McInnes ahead of this season has also brought forth mixed thoughts, after the young rake struggled in his full season as a starting hooker, registering a single try assist.
While his signature has brought joy to Dragon’s fans, Hunt’s departure has left Brisbane in a spot of bother for the 2018 season. The number of halves off-contract at the end of the season are limited, with Mitchell Pearce, Luke Brooks, Mitchell Moses and Shaun Johnson all expected to remain with their current clubs. Kieran Foran is all off-contract at the end of 2017, but if he is to leave New Zealand, it’s expected that he’ll return to Sydney to be with his family.
Ashley Taylor has been put forward as the ideal replacement for Hunt, having played the entirety of his junior career at Red Hill. But Titan’s CEO Graham Annesley has already confirmed that Taylor, as well as teammate Kane Elgey, are contracted at the Gold Coast until the end of 2018 and that they’re happy where they are.
Hunt will finish up his duties with Brisbane in October, giving the club nine months to scour for a replacement. In the meantime, the Broncos have confirmed the signing of prop Korbin Sims until the end of 2018, bolstering their already strong forward pack.
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