St George Illawarra have rejected a request from captain Ben Hunt to have his contract tied to the future of coach Anthony Griffin as the Dragons desperately try to re-sign their best player before the World Cup.
Hunt’s management briefly inquired about having the Dally M Medal contender sign a new deal that would align with that of Griffin, but were told the club wouldn’t entertain the scenario in a new two-year extension.
It’s the surest sign yet the Dragons, who the Herald reported earlier this week had an influential figure reach out to representatives of Bulldogs-bound coach Cameron Ciraldo, are not convinced about Griffin.
And while players inserting clauses into their deals contingent on who is coaching the club is becoming rarer, it did not stop Hunt’s camp from audaciously floating the prospect.
Former Broncos and Panthers coach Griffin has one year left on his deal at St George Illawarra, an option triggered by the club before a ball was kicked this year, and will need a fast start next season to warrant a fresh contract beyond 2023.
Also at stake is the future of their best player, who has made no secret of his desire to continue playing under Griffin, who helped nurture him in the Broncos’ system as a promising junior and made him Dragons captain after Cameron McInnes left to join Cronulla.
Ben Hunt has a strong relationship with Dragons coach Anthony Griffin.Credit:NRL Photos
Hunt has played the best football of his career in the past two years, which has coincided with Griffin’s time in Wollongong, and the 32-year-old is tipped to battle Cronulla’s Nicho Hynes, Penrith’s Dylan Edwards and Melbourne’s Cameron Munster for the Dally M Medal.
St George Illawarra want the two-year extension for Hunt – which will mean he’s 35 by the end of the 2025 season – to be finalised in coming weeks before the State of Origin star leaves for the World Cup as a crucial member of Mal Meninga’s Kangaroos squad.
However, the value of the deal is causing consternation.
According to sources familiar with the negotiations, the Dragons are aggrieved they have been accused of undervaluing the heartbeat of their side, with suggestions they’ve only tabled a $700,000-a-year offer. Sources claim the actual figure is significantly higher.
Dragons captain Ben Hunt remains in limbo as he chases a contract extension with the Dragons.Credit:Getty
Hunt’s preference is to stay, and he is happy with the length of what is a back-ended deal, but the parties are understood to be about $200,000 apart on the overall package.
Regardless, the proposed terms will tip Hunt out of the million-dollar club he is currently a member of, alongside a select few, including Nathan Cleary and Daly Cherry-Evans.
However, it still represents a significant investment from the club for a player who will be in his mid-30s, albeit one who is on track to play all but one game for his club this year despite a gruelling Origin campaign.
NRL clubs still don’t know what the salary cap is for next year and beyond through to the end of the next broadcast rights schedule, meaning a host of contracts are likely to include ratchet clauses allowing their salary to increase commensurate to the value of the total player payment pool.
While the collective bargaining agreement negotiations are still in their infancy, the stakeholders privately expect the salary cap to rise to about $11 million next year.
Hunt is not the only player wanting a quick resolution to his contract status at the Red V.
Veteran hooker and 300-gamer Andrew McCullough said as recently as last Sunday before the Dragons’ wild win over the Titans he was intent on seeing out the final year of his deal in 2023. A potential replacement, Tigers rake Jacob Liddle, is on the joint-venture outfit’s radar and has already met with Griffin.
Jayden Sullivan, earmarked as an integral part of St George Illawarra’s future, will start at No.9 in the Dragons’ penultimate game of the season against the struggling Tigers with McCullough sidelined with a knee injury.
Sullivan is contracted to the Dragons until the end of 2025, but how much longer will he want to wait for a permanent NRL spot? Phil Gould and the Bulldogs have been tracking the Sullivan situation, but the Dragons still see the 20-year-old as a big part of their future.
The Dragons have recently extended the contract of utility forward Billy Burns for the 2023 season.
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