Ben Hunt claims under-fire Dragons “will play finals” this year — can they deliver?

Newly-crowned Dragons skipper Ben Hunt has made a bold call about his under-fire NRL roster; the Red V outfit “will play finals” this year, despite the mountain of doubt piling up at their feet — but can they actually deliver on that pledge?

In the last two years, the Dragons have run aground in their hunt for NRL finals. A dour 12th-place finish in 2019 turned into a battle to avoid the spoon in 2020, and they ended up finishing in a woeful 15th.

The offseason overhaul at Kogarah will turn the ship around though, new captain Ben Hunt claims. He believes the team’s new faces — including coach Anthony Griffin, rake Andrew McCullough, and returning son Jack Bird — can provide a “circuit breaker,” of sorts.

“You can expect a top-eight finish,” Hunt told Big Sports Breakfast on Tuesday.

“I’m like, everyone, we’re not going to come from 15th and win the comp straight off the bat, we’ve got a lot to do yet. I’m not saying we’re not going to win the comp, we’ve still got a lot of work ahead of us, but I think we’ve got enough down here to be a finals team.

“We’ve just got to put it all together.”

The question we’re left with — is the dream Ben Hunt is peddling for the Red V faithful real?

Hunt has been crowned the Dragons’ new on-field commander in 2021.

Well, yes, in theory.

There’s always a chance that any NRL team can make the finals with a good run; that’s why the top-level rugby league competition is just so exciting, and why no one counts their chickens until they’ve actually hatched. Or rather, won.

But in more serious terms, the answer is still yes.

The Dragons roster is a strong one, even missing Cameron McInnes and losing Tyson Frizell.

Stars like Zac Lomax, Matt Dufty, and Mikaele Ravalawa enjoyed standout 2020 seasons, even as the Dragons struggled to leave a mark. Corey Norman, Hunt, Paul Vaughn, and Tariq Sims are all cracking talents too, though have been in a gulf recently.

Splash in Bird and McCullough (if they can stay fit) and the St George list looks good.

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Their only problem, really, is that they’ve been under the dumps. Whether that’s a coaching issue, or something deeper, will soon be revealed. Griffin has a 55% win rate in his career, and played finals in seven of his eight coaching seasons.

Only Wayne Bennett, Craig Bellamy, and Trent Robinson have better records.

Griffin has another talent too; he’s the man to draw that little something out of stars, young and old. He worked with Hunt and Norman at the Broncos, and was the first coach to fire their sparks.

• Read More: Why Broncos must keep Dearden at all costs

The same could well happen with Josh Kerr, Eddie Blacker, Matt and Max Feagai, Cody Ramsey, Jayden Sullivan, and more, all recent products from the Illawarra talent conveyor belt.

If the Saints managed to get their roster back on track, they’re a clear finals team.

Jayden Sullivan is one of many bright sparks in the Dragons’ junior ranks.

Then there’s the Red V’s honestly shocking defence in recent seasons.

The Saints averaged 22.6 conceded points and for tries per game last year. That’s far from the worst — ninth, in fact — but it’s not great. It was also helped a lot by McInnes and his commanding efforts.

Luckily, Griffin, who has been renowned for “hard-hitting” forward packs and tough “D” for 80 minutes, has taken a magnifying glass to those same rearguard efforts. The club’s new helmsman has brought a “big change” to that side of the game for the Dragons, Hunt revealed.

“The big change in our pre-season has been our defence,” he explained.

“There’s no hiding how bad our defence has been the last couple of years at the Dragons. It’s something that really needed to improve.

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“I’m not saying we’re going to keep teams to nil or anything like that, but we’ve been working really hard on our defence this pre-season and it’s something we’re going to try and hold ourselves to going forward.”

Hook needs his team to fill the void left by McInnes’ season-ending injury.

If the Dragons can solve their defensive frailties, get their beleaguered stars firing, and overcome losing their skipper for the year, The Sporting Base believes Ben Hunt may be right — the Red V faithful may get September footy, despite the odds.

That being said, there’s a lot of “ifs” piling up there.

There’s really only one way for Hunt and his under-fire Dragons outfit to prove the new captain’s words right; out on the footy field. There’s talk of changing things, but they have to show it too.

The Saints will have their first trial this weekend, against arch-rivals South Sydney.

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When the two teams converge on Mudgee for the Charity Shield we’ll see one tipped to play deep into September, and one marked as a wooden spoon battler. It’s not hard to guess which is which.

For Ben Hunt and the Dragons, the goal here is simple: change the narrative.

The team must prove Hunt’s bold claim that they “can play finals” this year should be one NRL fans and pundits alike listen to. Show that the Red V is on the upward trend, right now, with a barnstorming first day out in Mudgee. Shock the Rabbits, and the league.

If they can do that, then The Sporting Base tips them to deliver.

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