NRL to assess Ben Hunt contract value after Dragons departure

The NRL is waiting for clubs to submit contract bids for Ben Hunt before making further decisions on the former St George Illawarra captain’s value in the open market.

The announcement comes just days after the Dragons and Hunt made a mutual decision to part ways effective immediately, with the 34-year-old now in search of a new club for 2025.

The former Bronco has been a marquee playmaker in the NRL for several years, and the sticking point around his contract value now revolves around his representative status and the positions he plays.

Hunt has played a majority of his club footy at halfback, with 36 games at hooker and almost a dozen games at five-eighth at NRL level.

In the representative arena he has played most of his games in the dummy-half rotation, whether starting or coming off the bench.

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In the back end of his career, Hunt has also featured more prominently for both Queensland and Australia following the representative retirement of Cameron Smith in 2018.

Reports have suggested most interested clubs are only willing to pay around $500,000 per year for the State of Origin star, with the Dragons picking up the tab on the remainder of his $950,000 asking price.

At this stage, only the Dolphins have publicly expressed interest in acquiring Hunt’s services.

However, the recent sacking of Josh Addo-Carr by the Bulldogs and rumoured release of Terrell May from the Roosters suggest some Sydney clubs may already be clearing the decks to add what could be a premiership-winning piece to their side.

There have also been suggestions that Hunt would prefer to return to Queensland, with Brisbane and the Gold Coast featuring heavily in conversations.

The Titans recently released Tanah Boyd to take up a deal with the New Zealand Warriors, which may create a vacancy for another halfback at the club.

Meanwhile, the Broncos seem unlikely to go for Hunt after re-signing Reece Walsh to a monster new deal in a spine featuring Ezra Mam, Adam Reynolds, Blake Mozer and Billy Walters.

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