The long, drawn out saga between Ben Hunt and St George Illawarra finally came to an end this week when the former captain was released from the final year of his contract.
The halfback was on the verge of exiting the club last year after Anthony Griffin’s sacking, before incoming coach Shane Flanagan managed to persuade him to stay.
The State of Origin star subsequently tallied the highest number of try assists in the league.
However, the statistics only told part of the story with Hunt’s underwhelming end to the campaign coinciding with the Dragons dropping out of the top eight.
A reportedly blistering internal review at the end of the campaign unsettled the veteran once again and proved to be the final straw, with a parting of ways finally agreed upon after weeks of speculation.
MORE: Parramatta to release star player to rival NRL club
Shane Flanagan opens up on plans for life after Ben Hunt
"No one player, person, staff member or coach is bigger than the club," Flanagan told The Daily Telegraph in the wake of the termination of Hunt’s deal.
Although the club’s decision to cut Hunt without having a ready made replacement at halfback has raised some eyebrows.
Kyle Flanagan could currently be in line to take over in the No.7 jersey if no signings are made for the 2025 campaign, while Lyhkan King-Togia looms as the most likely five-eighth.
Despite this fact, Shane Flanagan noted how the call to allow Hunt to move on will ultimately help the club in the long run as they seek to replace Hunt with an up-and-coming halfback.
"This decision allows us to get moving (in recruitment) for next year and beyond and I’m more than confident on what will unfold," the head coach declared.
"Ben is an exceptional player and his skill set will not be easily replaced.
"However, we are committed to finding the right solutions and believe in the strength of our club moving forward."
The Dragons have been linked with an imminent move for Clint Gutherson after the Parramatta fullback was granted an immediate release from his deal.
But he is set to take over in the No.1 jersey for the Red V and not be moved into the halves.
Therefore, Braydon Trindall, Tyran Wishart and Lachlan Ilias are all expected to be on the club's radar as they try to replace Hunt.
Trindall still has one year to run on his contract at Cronulla but is set for a bumper salary increase, while Wishart has an option in his deal at Melbourne through until 2026.
Ilias lost his spot at South Sydney during Jason Demetriou's final months in charge and then suffered a season-ending leg injury while playing in NSW Cup.
Wayne Bennett's arrival could see the playmaker revive his career at Redfern though with a possible transition into dummy-half already floated.
