St George Illawarra Dragons star Ben Hunt is on the verge of making a significant decision regarding his future with the club as he approaches the twilight of his illustrious NRL career.
Hunt, who continues to play at the representative level for Queensland and Australia, is currently under contract with the Dragons until the end of the 2025 season. Despite being 34 years old, Hunt is eager to continue playing beyond his current deal.
Contract extension discussions between Hunt and the Dragons commenced in April. According to The Daily Telegraph, head coach Shane Flanagan is set to meet with Hunt and his partner Bridget to finalize a contract extension through the 2026 season.
An official announcement is expected within the next two weeks, coinciding with Hunt’s return from the second game of the 2024 State of Origin series.
“Ben has told me he wants to stay,” Flanagan revealed to the publication. “I will sit down with Ben and Bridget in the next week or two, have a meal, and discuss it. We’ll go from there. Ben is happy with the direction the club is heading and wants to be part of it. He is all about winning, and we are winning football games. We’re fortunate to have him, and we want to keep him. He is crucial to our club. Ben is our captain, a rep player, and a halfback.”
Flanagan emphasized that while there is no rush to finalize the extension, they plan to discuss it as soon as possible. “We have an important game against Manly this week, and then Ben will head into Queensland camp, so we need to find the right time,” he added.
“Ben trains all the time. It’s not like he’s injured and has one day at training and then the next day off. His body is still in good shape; he’s looked after himself for a long period of time. That’s the modern-day footballer.”
The contract extension would position Hunt to potentially enter the NRL record books for most career games, potentially finishing with around 370 to 385 matches. Currently, he has played 324 first-grade games, trailing only former Melbourne Storm hooker Cameron Smith on the all-time record NRL games leaderboard.
“Anything is possible,” Hunt’s manager Col Davis said, acknowledging the potential milestone.
Less than 12 months ago, Hunt was seeking an early release from the Dragons due to a series of unmet promises and tensions following the sacking of Anthony Griffin. At the time, he was linked with the Brisbane Broncos and Gold Coast Titans. However, Hunt has since reaffirmed his commitment to the Dragons.
Hunt joined the Dragons at the beginning of 2018 and has become one of the club’s standout players, amassing 137 games and 163 points. Despite not leading the team to a Grand Final or securing a regular finals spot, the new contract would provide him with the opportunity to achieve these goals as the Dragons rebuild under premiership-winning coach Shane Flanagan.
With the potential extension, Hunt looks set to remain a central figure in the Dragons’ quest for success in the coming years.
