Ben Hunt future at Dragons; Gold Coast Titans move; David Furner Wests Tigers
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THE Dragons have got a pickle on their hands in the form of captain Ben Hunt and his continued desire to return home to Queensland.
It’s nothing against incoming coach Shane Flanagan who is a proven premiership-winner but Hunt has made it abundantly clear he still wants out of the Red V.
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The same issues Hunt had with the Dragons management when he asked for a release in the middle of the State of Origin series clearly still exist.
It’s a major issue for St George Illawarra’s new coach Flanagan because it’s hard to persevere with Hunt as captain of the Red V when he’s repeatedly going on record saying he wants out to go home to Queensland.
Hunt will be a walk-up start for Mal Meninga’s Australian side for the end-of-season Tests before having time off and then returning to Wollongong to suit-up for another pre-season.
What other NRL club has $900,000 plus to be able to fit Hunt in under the salary cap for next season?
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The answer is any club who failed to make the top eight this year would very quickly take an axe to the roster to try and fit a player of Hunt’s calibre in.
The Gold Coast Titans under new coach Des Hasler is the most obvious contender.
There’s no suggestion the Titans have made any behind-the-scenes moves to try and land Hunt’s signature but there’s also no question he’d automatically turn them into an overnight contender under Des.
Even after the retentions of Tino Fa’asuamaleaui and David Fifita we’re tipping the Titans would still have the room to accommodate Hunt if he can gain a release.
The way it stands at the moment it’s guaranteed to be a continued narrative over the course of the summer.
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RAIDERS coach Ricky Stuart has bitten his tongue at plenty of press conferences this season but he couldn’t resist a light-hearted jab when the Canberra players got together to commiserate being knocked out in week one of the finals.
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Read More: Ben Hunt future at Dragons; Gold Coast Titans move; David Furner Wests Tigers 2023-09-13 20:30:59