Ben Hunt has branded the absence of several players at the St George Illawarra Dragons’ end-of-season presentation as “disrespectful”.
Despite a stellar season from Hunt that had the halfback firmly in the Dally M conversation, the Dragons could only muster up a 10th-place finish and two wins outside the top eight.
Watch every match of the Rugby League World Cup LIVE & Exclusive to Fox Sports, on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >
Just three players – Hunt, Zac Lomax and Michael Molo – attended the presentation night, with 27 absent.
Hunt admitted his sadness only so many players could make the event, but from what he knew, most if not all had given the Dragons skipper a good reason as to why they wouldn’t make it.
“It was a bit disappointing, in a way,” Hunt told Channel 9.
“But a lot of players came to me when we found out about presentation night and mentioned they’d already booked holidays away.”
Lane resigns for Eels for three years! | 00:31
MORE COVERAGE
Broncos’ $2.4m headache; Dragons’ ugly exodus: NRL’s biggest off-season issues
‘Dragged through the mud’: Storm boss slams salary cap ‘rumours’ after $4m Munster coup
‘Real tough decision’: The ‘unfortunate’ reason behind Panthers hero’s Kangaroos snub
However, reports recently emerged stating that a large number of those Dragons players were in fact in Sydney and not kicking their feet up elsewhere.
It was a claim that left Hunt upset.
“I did hear after it that there was a couple of guys that were in Sydney and I think that is pretty disrespectful,” Hunt said.
“You’re part of the club, you’ve worked hard all year playing for them, you should come and celebrate the year.”
Although Hunt is away in England with the Kangaroos for the Rugby League World Cup, he plans on getting to the bottom of it all when he’s back on Aussie shores.
“Yeah, I’d like to have a chat to some of them,” Hunt said.
“Obviously I won’t be able to do it for a few weeks now, not until pre-season. It’d just be good to know their reasons for why they didn’t come.”
