Griffin & Hunt

[Eric]

Ben Hunt​

Hunt was certainly entertaining the idea of coming home to play under his former Maroons coach if the Dragons didn’t play ball on his new deal.

It dragged on and at one stage looked like Hunt could indeed be joining the Dolphins for the 2024 season.

But the Dragons stumped up the $900,000 per season asking price and Hunt re-signed until the end of 2025.

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I'm hearing it's a bit over 700k with TPAs putting it closer to 900k. This is reasonable for someone of his age and ability. Kids being kids love him so TPAs are lucrative for him.

But after reading yesterday the club is going to sign YET ANOTHER 30+ year-old journeyman from a struggling club, nothing would surprise me anymore.

 

[Chris M]

Ben Hunt​

Hunt was certainly entertaining the idea of coming home to play under his former Maroons coach if the Dragons didn’t play ball on his new deal.

It dragged on and at one stage looked like Hunt could indeed be joining the Dolphins for the 2024 season.

But the Dragons stumped up the $900,000 per season asking price and Hunt re-signed until the end of 2025.

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I'm hearing it's a bit over 700k with TPAs putting it closer to 900k. This is reasonable for someone of his age and ability. Kids being kids love him so TPAs are lucrative for him.

But after reading yesterday the club is going to sign YET ANOTHER 30+ year-old journeyman from a struggling club, nothing would surprise me anymore.

Surely you are correct. No way in hell can Hunt be worth almost a mil a season when he's 34 and 35.

 

[RedV01]

If Hunt's new contract wasn't set to adjust to match salary cap increases and now with Amone gone, it will be a really good deal for the club. And if he doesn't like it and Wallace isn't ready for NRL, he can sit in the stands for 2 years. Payback for the lack of value for money he provided over the first few years of his contract.

 

[Chris M]

Read this in The Roar. Written before the Amone thing. So much for that.

St George Illawarra Dragons​

Anthony Griffin wants a no-drama magic wand​

There is constantly a black cloud hovering over the Red V.

Players against the coach. Teammates having a fight. An ex-player sharing his personal drams with the club all over social media. No one turning up to the end-of-year awards.

Griffin would just like a fuss-free year so he can just focus on his mediocre football side.

 

[Eric]

St George Illawarra: Anthony Griffin (2023)​

It didn’t exactly fill anyone with confidence when skipper Ben Hunt, who is one of Anthony Griffin’s key allies, came out and said if the team doesn’t start fast in 2023 then the coach will be gone. Add to that widespread reports that the club’s hierarchy only convinced young guns Jayden Sullivan and Tyrell Sloan to stick around on the proviso Griffin wouldn’t be in charge beyond 2023, and this has the makings of a ticking time bomb that could go off at any stage.

In Griffin’s two seasons at the Dragons they are yet to make the play-offs, although his overall win/loss record in that period isn’t exactly horrible at 41.6 per cent (20 wins/28 losses). The bigger concern is the constant chatter about player unrest. George Burgess and Jack Gosiewski didn’t help ease the tension when they gave the coach a spray on their way out the door.

Of course it was also highlighted by the fact only three NRL players turned up at the presentation night, an absolute embarrassment for one of rugby league’s most iconic brands.

Safety rating: D

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According to the DT. If it's true they have already decided he won't be in charge beyond this year, I find it extraordinary, even by St George Illawarra standards he would have been kept this year if he were no chance or almost no chance of staying beyond this year.

 

[Chris M]

St George Illawarra: Anthony Griffin (2023)​

It didn’t exactly fill anyone with confidence when skipper Ben Hunt, who is one of Anthony Griffin’s key allies, came out and said if the team doesn’t start fast in 2023 then the coach will be gone. Add to that widespread reports that the club’s hierarchy only convinced young guns Jayden Sullivan and Tyrell Sloan to stick around on the proviso Griffin wouldn’t be in charge beyond 2023, and this has the makings of a ticking time bomb that could go off at any stage.

In Griffin’s two seasons at the Dragons they are yet to make the play-offs, although his overall win/loss record in that period isn’t exactly horrible at 41.6 per cent (20 wins/28 losses). The bigger concern is the constant chatter about player unrest. George Burgess and Jack Gosiewski didn’t help ease the tension when they gave the coach a spray on their way out the door.

Of course it was also highlighted by the fact only three NRL players turned up at the presentation night, an absolute embarrassment for one of rugby league’s most iconic brands.

Safety rating: D

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According to the DT. If it's true they have already decided he won't be in charge beyond this year, I find it extraordinary, even by St George Illawarra standards he would have been kept this year if he were no chance or almost no chance of staying beyond this year.

Keeping the seat warm for Dean Young.

 

[Illusion]

Keeping the seat warm for Dean Young.

Yep that's been my theory on this , hope I'm wrong , but who really knows if it did happen he might be ok , but it's not what I would want another job for the boys type ..... But as long as daddy is still around the joint it's a big chance of happening ......

 

[Chris M]

Yep that's been my theory on this , hope I'm wrong , but who really knows if it did happen he might be ok , but it's not what I would want another job for the boys type ..... But as long as daddy is still around the joint it's a big chance of happening ......

Exactly my opinion. He might be a good coach but at this stage, it just looks like more jobs for the boys. He has to prove himself elsewhere first. If not as a head coach, as an assistant for a few more years yet.

 

[RedV01]

More stupidity. Hunt was good as an individual but very poor as a playmaker.

Every NRL team’s strength for 2023​

16. St George-Illawarra Dragons​

Ben Hunt​

Again, I tried to avoid this but Ben Hunt is the man when it comes to the Red V. I recently stated he may be the only man, but what a weapon to hold.
Hunt would not have looked out of place with the Dally M medal around his neck in 2022. Given his side missed Finals by a mile, that says a lot.
Ben Hunt will keep the Dragons in the Finals race far longer than they have any right to be this season. Just like last season ... and the season before that.

 

[Illusion]

More stupidity. Hunt was good as an individual but very poor as a playmaker.

Every NRL team’s strength for 2023​

16. St George-Illawarra Dragons​

Ben Hunt​

Again, I tried to avoid this but Ben Hunt is the man when it comes to the Red V. I recently stated he may be the only man, but what a weapon to hold.
Hunt would not have looked out of place with the Dally M medal around his neck in 2022. Given his side missed Finals by a mile, that says a lot.
Ben Hunt will keep the Dragons in the Finals race far longer than they have any right to be this season. Just like last season ... and the season before that.

I for one can't see him having the same sort of year ..... A year older , injuries and a team that is going nowhere ......

 

[RedV01]

I for one can't see him having the same sort of year ..... A year older , injuries and a team that is going nowhere ......

I for one am not convinced he was really good last year. He did some great things individually but he did very little as a playmaker. But Amone should have done more as well. And the forwards should have gone forward much better as well. I guess everyone has some blame including Hunt. I'm glad he didn't win Dally M. He didn't deserve it.

 

[DragonRider]

I think Griffin Hunt is a great game. I've been playing it for a few weeks now and I'm really enjoying it. The graphics are great and the gameplay is really fun. I like the way you can customize your character and the different levels you can play. The game also has a lot of replay value, so you can keep playing it for a long time. Overall, I think Griffin Hunt is a great game and I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a fun and challenging game.

 

[Chris M]

Fox rating the Dragons halves 14th best. I think playing behind that forward pack, the best halves in the competition would struggle.

14. BEN HUNT & JAYDEN SULLIVAN - Dragons​

Dragons star Ben Hunt was one of the competition’s best players last season and finished third on the Dally M leaderboard.

Last year Junior Amone partnered Hunt but has since been stood down under the NRL’s No Fault Stand Down policy for an alleged hammer attack.

Now Jayden Sullivan is set to make the five-eighth spot his own and hopefully take pressure off under-siege coach Anthony Griffin.

 

[jodragon40]

The game plan will be pretty simple in attack in my view Hunt will again do all the kicking and organising and young Sullivan will be told to run the ball take on the line and Sloan will be told to follow him through

 

[Morgan]

The game plan will be pretty simple in attack in my view Hunt will again do all the kicking and organising and young Sullivan will be told to run the ball take on the line and Sloan will be told to follow him through

Agree. Very predictable.

 

[GCRV]

Agree. Very predictable.

What is predictable is that Hook will give Sullivan and Hunt directions that Hunt is to basically do everything and Sullivan is only to run or catch and pass immediately. And no taking the ball to the line and then passing. Pass immediately or run. And then the most predictable of all is the idiot commentators raving about how Hunt is doing everything and the team would be scary bad without Hunt.

 

[jodragon40]

What is predictable is that Hook will give Sullivan and Hunt directions that Hunt is to basically do everything and Sullivan is only to run or catch and pass immediately. And no taking the ball to the line and then passing. Pass immediately or run. And then the most predictable of all is the idiot commentators raving about how Hunt is doing everything and the team would be scary bad without Hunt.

What's more scary is mbye/ Hunt or when he is off too soo mbye/ Sullivan. Hopefully he will give young Sullivan some free reign

 

[GCRV]

What's more scary is mbye/ Hunt or when he is off too soo mbye/ Sullivan. Hopefully he will give young Sullivan some free reign

Assuming Hunt makes the QLD Origin team.

 

[Illusion]

What I'm afraid of is , if Sully makes a few mistakes he will bench him and start Bird or Mybe there ..... The same goes with Sloan ...... Hook needs to give them both a good go , but unless some else is calling the shots , Hook won't he will only be worried about his job .......

 

[Eric]

DRAGONS FRONT OFFICE UNDER PRESSURE​

The Dragons have waded into dangerous territory this week ahead of Saturday’s clash with the Dolphins, and this time they have their front office to blame. Don’t take this columnist‘s word for it, take the word of skipper Ben Hunt or even the meagre 39 words that under-fire coach Anthony Griffin could barely muster after the side’s embarrassing defeat against the Sharks.

Hunt made it clear he wasn’t happy with the way management had hung Griffin out to dry by making moves to interview for the coach’s job. Now, not only are the Dragons under the gun on the field, there could be rumblings of discontent between the players and management.That spells bad news for the Red V. The side doesn’t need distractions, they need to win and now the club’s own management have played a hand making that task an even more difficult one.

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Ben Hunt really needs to STFU! If the players are so fond of the coach, play much better in order to secure his position! Otherwise Griffin obviously has to go. Even if he is the coolest dude in the world, he isn't getting results!