St George Illawarra chairman Craig Young believes young gun Jayden Sullivan would benefit from the retention of Ben Hunt after personally pitching to the club captain during the week.
Hunt, one of the favourites for the Dally M Medal, is expected to recommit to the Dragons. There’s a two-year contract extension on the table and the Red V are confident it will be taken up before the halfback becomes a free agent on November 1.
If Hunt stays, fellow playmaker Sullivan will have his pathway to the NRL blocked and is expected to ask for an immediate release. Sullivan is contracted until the end of 2025, but is expected to seek a fresh start with Canterbury, where he would partner Matt Burton in the halves.
Speaking after meeting with Hunt and his manager on Thursday, Young said he hoped Sullivan and Hunt would both stay.
“We haven’t received any request from Sullivan for a release,” Young said. “It’s a good opportunity for Sullivan, if Ben re-signs, to learn from him.
“Sometimes young players need to be patient – they end up getting a better outcome in the long term, have longer careers.
“If you’re patient, get the work ethic right and all of that stuff, you want to hang around for a long time, not a short time. Sometimes young players want it all too quick and that’s all part of man management.”
Hunt’s preference is to stay and the negotiations to date have been handled by Dragons chief executive Ryan Webb, roster manager Shane Flanagan and head of football Ben Haran. Young, one of the club’s most esteemed former players and coaches, didn’t discuss finances when he caught up with Hunt.
Instead, it was a chance to share the club’s vision for the future and reassure him he would play an integral part in it.
Ben Hunt after the Dragons’ Anzac Day victory over the Roosters. The halfback has been in career-best form in 2022.Credit:NRL Photos
“I could see he is very keen to stay,” Young said. “From my perspective and the club’s perspective, we value him as a person and player and would love to see him stay.
“They are sorting through the numbers at the moment. He’s one of our better players and I wanted to express that to him. I didn’t want to bother him during the year because they’re busy with what they’re doing, but now the season is over, I’m just checking up on him to see how he’s going. I wanted to see if he had any concerns, which he didn’t.”
Young said uncertainty about the salary cap from next season – the NRL and players’ union are yet to arrive at a figure – was a complicating factor in negotiations. However, he was hopeful the parties would strike an agreement, potentially before the 32-year-old Hunt heads to England for World Cup duty.
“It’s a good opportunity for [Jayden] Sullivan, if Ben re-signs to learn from him.”
Dragons chairman Craig Young.
“The indication is he isn’t far away from making a decision, but that’s up to him,” Young said.
“There’s no pressure from my end to make a decision. He’s got a decision to make when he’s comfortable. We just need to sort through the numbers, which they are getting through.
“If it’s before the World Cup, that’s great. That would provide for certainty, and then we can move on.”
There will be no shortage of suitors should Hunt hit the open market. Canterbury supremo Phil Gould met with him last month to discuss the prospect of a shift to Belmore, although their preferred target is understood to be Sullivan.
Asked about the Bulldogs’ interest, Young said: “You have to understand that he’s contracted; he’s playing for us next year. I’m sure he would be sought after.”
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