D-Day for Hunt against his former employers
THE time has come for Ben Hunt to deliver on his $6-million NRL deal with St George Illawarra.
The Dragons will kick off their new era tonight in Kogarah and Hunt will run out against his former club Brisbane in the NRL season-opener to begin his five-year contract, which has an option for a sixth season.
Only the controversy surrounding the Broncos’ Matt Lodge has stopped all the attention this week from being on Hunt and his replacement in Brisbane, Kodi Nikorima.
Hunt’s deal kick-started last year’s play-maker merry-go-round and is the biggest in Dragons’ history. However, the 27-year-old’s importance to the club can’t be understated given he’ll end a 121-game wait for a recognised halfback at the club.
Not since Ben Hornby retired at the end of 2012 have Paul McGregor and his predecessors had a traditional and experienced halfback in their No.7 jersey.
Seven men have filled the jumper but the majority of them have been a mixture of five-eighths or better-known play-making utilities.
Benji Marshall played the most games (55) but he will long be regarded as a running five-eighth whose combination with Gareth Widdop never really took off. Josh McCrone and Nathan Fien also spent just as much time at No.6, hookers or bench utilities as they have in the No.7 role.
“The halfback position was something we hadn’t had at the club for a long time so that was our main priority,” McGregor said. “You don’t like to lose players along the way like we have but I feel like our squad of 30 now is the best balance of the squad.”
Hunt also has the backing of Wayne Bennett, who said the club had no choice but to let him go following the monster-sized deal from the Dragons last year.
But the master coach expected his former general would have no issues living up to the pressure and expectation of the contract.
“The expectation is so high here (at Brisbane), so he is used to expectation, I don’t think it would worry him at all,” Bennett said. “Ben can deliver on all that. I don’t think it is something he should worry about.”