Flanno 'wasting his time' on Hunt with move imminent, another ...

Incoming Dragons coach Shane Flanagan is reportedly “wasting his time” meeting with Ben Hunt on Monday in an attempt to keep the star halfback from leaving.

Hunt dropped a bombshell on the club last weekend by requesting an immediate release despite his lucrative contract running until the end of 2025.

The veteran backed up from Origin in St George Illawarra’s loss to the Warriors on Friday night but has almost certainly played his last game for the club.

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Hunt decided to leave the club when the Dragons were thrashed by the Cowboys in his 300th game on May 13, which was the final straw according to journalist Danny Weidler.

Weidler reported that Flanagan is “wasting his time” trying to convince Hunt to stay after the club promised big-name signings that never eventuated.

“Instead, he was left to be the face of their on-field and off-field mistakes time and again. He is sick and tired of being that person,” Weidler wrote in The SMH.

The report also stated that superstar centre Zac Lomax, who is contracted until the end of 2026, is also unsettled at the club.

Hunt has been linked with an immediate move to the Broncos and then a two-year deal with the Titans from 2024.

Brisbane great Corey Parker said it won’t be a great look if Hunt leaves the 15th-placed Dragons for the top-of-the-table Broncos.

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“Ben Hunt is the best player they have on their books, he’s their highest paid, he’s their captain. For them to just let Ben Hunt go, I like him very much as a person but from a business perspective you can’t just let your No. 1 player leave your club to go and help somebody else,” Parker said on Fox League.

“Ben Hunt has been on record saying he wants to play 7, if he goes to Brisbane he’s obviously going to be playing 9. The optics don’t look good for Ben Hunt, going from a team languishing near last to going to a team coming first to go play in the 9 position.

“I’m ok if he wants to leave the club, but maybe at the end of the year when there’s an opportunity for both parties to separate.”

Out-of-favour Bulldogs playmaker Kyle Flanagan has also been linked with a move to the Dragons to play under his father Shane.

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