Ben Hunt appears to have again changed his mind about staying at the St George Illawarra Dragons beyond his current deal, with the aging NRL veteran declaring he’s now “on the fence”—and may even leave the game entirely.
The Dragons captain has been quite public about his future in the Red V for some time now, last year even begging the club to let him leave so he could take up a Queensland offer.
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Then-incoming coach Shane Flanagan got on the phone to the State of Origin hooker and convinced him to stay, but now a new situation is brewing in Wollongong: The 34-year-old, who has been expected to sign an extension with the team in the next few months, could instead walk away from the Dragons as he ponders retiring.
“To be honest I’m still on the fence… and whether I want to leave or not,” Hunt said.
“It’s more about my future and how much longer I’ve got left I’m 34 and have played a hell of a lot of footy. While I’m still enjoying my footy it’s not getting easier, I don’t want to rush into anything.”
🚨🏉 Ben Hunt still undecided about re-signing with @NRL_Dragons, with Queensland star now considering retirement instead. Says he doesn't want to “rush into anything” too quickly pic.twitter.com/ZaCP7g1T3A
— The Sporting Base – NRL (@BaseNrl) August 13, 2024
Hunt knows full well this would be a sting for Flanagan and the rebuilding Dragons, who have been banking on having the tenured playmaker for the 2026 NRL season after he informally told them he’d be staying. Because of that, the Queenslander suggests he’ll make a decision as soon as possible to not leave them in the lurch.
“I don’t think [I’ll make my decision] next year, it will be before,” he said, adding he understands the St George Illawarra bosses want as much time as possible to replace him.
“The club’s in a position where they are looking to grow and make some moves in our roster to bring some players in. I don’t want to leave them in limbo for too long, so I’ll get that sorted… but I just want to not rush into something I’m not 100 percent in.”
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If Hunt does decide to walk away, the Dragons will have around $800,000 more in the salary cap to play with; a bundle of cash they’ll need to bring in a dominant playmaker for 2026 on.
