Brisbane Broncos recruit Ben Hunt has revealed there was a sense of relief at finally exiting the St George Illawarra Dragons at the end of the 2024 NRL season.
Hunt, who captained the club, had requested a release on and off for much of the last two years.
At one point it looked as if he was going to re-sign with the Dragons before that deal was pulled off the table by the club and Hunt was eventually handed his release.
Despite being the key to the Dragons attack, Flanagan, speaking to Fox Sports, saw it differently, suggesting Hunt carried bad habits and that his side's attack would be structured differently throughout the course of the 2025 campaign.
โThis is not a criticism of Ben but I think our offensive systems created those opportunities for Ben to ice,โ Flanagan told the publication.
โWe will have those offensive systems this year where it is going to be Lachy (Ilias), Kyle (Flanagan) and Gutho to ice.
โAnd Ben was a good player but he was getting older and he had a few bad habits as well.โ
Hunt, on the other hand, admitted there was relief in leaving the Dragons, but said his time at the club was an 'amazing part of his life'.
โI guess there is probably a little bit (of relief),โ Hunt told the publication.
โIt was as an amazing part of my life. We had a great seven years down in Sydney and at the Dragons. I met some amazing people... friends for life.
โBut there was a bit of uncertainty there at the back end. I'm just really happy now and settled with the decision I've made. And I'm moving on with my life.โ
The veteran halfback, who will play five-eighth this year until Ezra Mam returns, then switch to hooker while serving as the number one back up option to Adam Reynolds in the number seven jumper, said he always wanted to return to the Broncos, but never actually saw it happening, and that he was already enjoying working with Reynolds in the limited pre-season sessions they have had so far under new coach Michael Maguire.
โIt was probably just something inside that really wanted me to go back there... something deep down, (I) always had a great love for the club,โ Hunt said.
โI've only had a couple of sessions because (halfback Adam Reynolds) had a bit of an injury, but when he's out there it just makes everything so much clearer and calmer.
โWhen you've got two generals on the field organising things that makes a lot easier.
โAnd I'm looking forward to not playing second fiddle, but I guess playing off him and getting around what he can do.โ
Reynolds, who is expected to be fit for Round 1 despite a neck injury in January, will again be a key for the Broncos as they aim to replicate a 2023 push to the grand final, rather than the disastrous 2024 season that followed and saw the club miss the top eight.
His combination with Hunt will be critical too, with the club needing both at their best if they are to spark an attack that was overly reliant on Reece Walsh last year.
It'll be a new-look Broncos in other key areas too, with Billy Walters unlikely to hang onto his number nine jumper, and Selwyn Cobbo switching from centre to the wing, while Deine Mariner goes the other way.
Maguire, looking to spark his new team to life in a hurry and bury his own demons from his last stint as an NRL head coach at the Wests Tigers, has spoken glowingly of Hunt previously, and the 34-year-old's influence around training is believed to be already paying off for the club who won the race for his signature ahead of local rivals the Dolphins.
What Hunt's signature does to the salary cap remains to be seen though, with Brisbane already having big-money deals in place for Walsh, Payne Haas and Patrick Carrigan among others, while they are also in advanced stages of negotiations with Kotoni Staggs, and would like to retain Selwyn Cobbo.
Brisbane kick-off their 2025 season against the Penrith Panthers.
