St George Illawarra Dragons halfback and Dally M Medal candidate Ben Hunt has weighed on the situation involving wantaway Red V fullback Tyrell Sloan, who has grown frustrated with a lack of first-team opportunities under Anthony Griffin.
It was revealed last week that Sloanโs request for an early release had been rejected by the Dragons, with the 20-year-old seemingly losing out in his battle for the No.1 jersey with Cody Ramsey during 2022.
Hunt, who is also still involved in contract negotiations with the club, told the Sydney Morning Herald that Sloan just needs to keep working hard and the rewards will come.
โI hope he stays,โ Hunt said.
โI know the club wants him to stay, and weโve all seen the glimpses of talent he has. If he can put his head down and work hard in pre-season, you never know what can happen for him.โ
Though Sloan has never approached Hunt for advice, the Dragons No.7 has pointed to his own rugby league journey as proof that patience pays off.
โHeโs never spoken about his frustrations to me,โ Hunt said.
โI can understand if heโs frustrated with not playing, but all young players go through the same thing. I didnโt play regular first grade until I was about 24.
โItโs a learning curve for him and he needs to embrace that.โ
Sloanโs unrest is believed to have piqued the interest of a number of clubs, despite the fact heโs under contract until the end of 2024.
It was reported just days ago that the Dragons were furious with the Dolphinsโ alleged involvement in Sloan seeking a release, with the club considering a formal complaint to the NRL about a breach in anti-tampering rules.
