After seven seasons and 147 matches for the St George Illawarra Dragons, Ben Hunt's time at the club has come to an end after he was released from the final season of the contract.
His departure means that the Dragons will need to prepare for life without him and will produce a new halves combination next season and beyond as they aim to reach the NRL Finals series once again.
Zero Tackles takes a look at ten realistic options that Shane Flanagan and the Dragons could choose to replace the Australian Kangaroos and QLD Maroons representative.
All the players on the list are either without a contract for next season, have been linked with the club or rival teams, have an 'NRL clause' in their contract, or are currently playing at the Dragons.
The options include seven rival NRL players, two Super League playmakers and one player who is currently involved with the St George Illawarra Dragons.
Before we delve into the list, there are several players the Dragons could go after but are unlikely to sign for the 2025 NRL season.
Initially granted permission by the Rabbitohs to explore his options, it is hard to see Lachlan Ilias depart the club after reports emerged that he is one of the most well-liked players by club officials and teammates at the club.
The Dragons have also been linked with Tyran Wishart - the son of Rod Wishart - but he is set to remain at the Melbourne Storm until the end of 2026, as the club has an option in his contract to extend his tenure.
Another playmaker the Dragons have been recently linked to is Cronulla Sharks five-eighth Braydon Trindall, but he is likely to re-sign a contract extension with the club as they see him as Nicho Hynes' long-term partner in the halves and proved his worth in the 2024 NRL Finals series.
They could also decide to re-sign Jesse Marschke, but it seems like his time in the NRL has come to a close after not being offered a contract extension, while NSW Cup halfback Jonah Glover doesn't have the experience on his resume to replace a star in Ben Hunt.
Already linked with a move to the St George Illawarra Dragons alongside teammate Braydon Trindall, the Cronulla Sharks are unlikely to offer both players extensions beyond their current deal as they also have to re-sign the likes of Ronaldo Mulitalo and Briton Nikora.
Out of the two players, the 23-year-old Atkinson is set to be moved on and won't find it difficult to secure a contract with a new team. An under-rated playmaker, he impressed in limited matches in the NRL and has shown that he has a long future in the competition.
Although he is unlikely to be at the Sharks beyond next season, it is hard to see Craig Fitzgibbon and the club replacing him before the expiration of his contract due to him being a vital piece in the club's run to the NRL Finals series in 2024.
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"It's unreal. You never know when your chance is going to pop up, so when it pops up, you've got to take it with both hands," Atkinson told Zero Tackle earlier this season.
"My position is just on the footy field. The goal for me moving forward is just to play good, consistent footy, wherever that is.
"Whether at Newtown or whether Fitzy trusts me in the first-grade squad, no matter what jersey I put on, I'm always going to put my best foot forward. You tell me to do something, and I'll do it."
Jackson Hastings' future at the Newcastle Knights has been outnumbered, with him being linked with an exit from the Knights as early as July after being axed in favour of Tyson Gamble, Will Pryce, Jack Cogger and Phoenix Crossland and finding himself playing lock in the NSW Cup.
Contracted until the end of next season, there have been continuous reports linking with him an exit and a return overseas to the Super League, where he won the Man of Steel award in 2020 - the competition's equivalent to the Dally M Medal.
It is understood that the Knights are also willing to contribute to his salary if he could find a new club for the 2025 season and, more recently, was linked to the South Sydney Rabbitohs.
RELATED >> Jackson Hastings rumoured to be leaving the Knights
Once seen as the Knights' primary playmaker, Hastings has yet to live up to his potential since returning to the NRL, but a new scenery at the Dragons and playing under a new coach could see him reach the form that saw him win the Man of Steel award.
“At the moment, I'm really enjoying my life in Australia, and hopefully, I'll stay there as long as possible, and you never know, come back here one day and get to play in stadiums like this," Hastings said recently admitting that he wants to stay in the NRL competition.
“I really enjoyed my time here, but it's ran its race. I'm back in Australia with family I'm really happy, but who knows, maybe back one day I'll be playing here in a game like this.”
Yet to sign a contract extension with the Gold Coast Titans for next season, Thomas Weaver is currently contracted and could become the latest playmaker to leave the Titans following Toby Sexton and Tanah Boyd out the door.
A former Under-19s NSW representative, Weaver has shown that he is capable of delivering on the NRL stage and would be a cheap option for the Dragons to bring in as they continue to scour the open market for a bigger marquee star.
Weaver has long been a first-grade potential player on the Gold Coast but has struggled to make his way into the side, stuck behind a mix of Kieran Foran, Jayden Campbell, and AJ Brimson.
"I'm excited for young Tommy Weaver," teammate AJ Brimson told Zero Tackle.
"He obviously played a few games last year, but he's a good player, and he's been impressing well.
"If he gets his chance, whether it's due to form injury or whatever, I'm hoping and expecting him to take it with both hands. He's a skilful player."
This spot was initially slated for Tanah Boyd after the Gold Coast Titans granted him permission to speak with rival teams, but he has since joined the New Zealand Warriors on a two-year deal until the end of 2026.
However, his arrival has created uncertainty surrounding the future of fellow playmaker Te Maire Martin at the club, as he was likely to step up into the starting halves and join Luke Metcalf with the retirement of Shaun Johnson.
In his 16 opportunities this season, he was a bright light for the Warriors and produced several Man of the Match performances in the halves, which saw him accumulate five tries, eight forced drop-outs, 16 try assists, and 14 line-break assists.
RELATED >> Clubs attempting to lure Te Maire Martin back to Australia
Able to speak with rival teams from November, the Dragons could potentially try to get him to secure an early release from the remainder of his contract following rumours that Martin had caught the attention of several Australian-based teams.
Considering he has just turned 29, the Warriors may decide to overlook him in favour of younger players such as Tanah Boyd. The club also have Chanel Harris-Tavita, Jett Cleary and Kahu Capper on their books as they rebuild their club following Johnson's retirement.
Having already shown an interest in Adam Doueihi, the St George Illawarra Dragons may decide to go all-in on the Lebanon international and try to sign him for the 2025 NRL season and lure the Wests Tigers into letting him go before the expiration of his contract.
Recently agreeing to a one-year contract extension with the Tigers, he took a significant pay cut of $350,000 a season to remain at the club but has been relegated to the centres with the arrival of Jahream Bula and Lachlan Galvin in the fullback and five-eighth positions.
Plagued by injuries, The Sydney Morning Herald previously reported that the Dragons have already held internal discussions about recruiting his services. He has also shown in the past that he could easily be one of the competition's best five-eighths when fully fit.
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Joining the Tigers at the start of the 2020 season after two years with the South Sydney Rabbitohs, Doueihi has been continually plagued by injuries while at the club, playing only 64 matches in five seasons.
At this moment, the Wests Tigers have no spots left on their Top 30 roster for next season, and Doueihi's departure would free up a spot to recruit another player on the open market as they continue their own rebuild or re-sign Sione Fainu to keep him with his younger brothers Latu and Samuela.
Seen as Jahrome Hughes' future successor, Jonah Pezet is currently in talks with the Melbourne Storm over a contract extension. However, this could surprisingly work in the Dragons' favour.
Reports from The Daily Telegraph have indicated that while Pezet is close to re-signing with the Storm, a 12-month loan clause could be inserted into his contract.
This would see him follow the same path as hooker Harry Grant who spent a season at the Wests Tigers due to being behind Cameron Smith and Brandon Smith at the time.
In what could be a win-win for both clubs, he could provide an immediate impact for the Dragons as they can take their time to secure a higher-profile star on a long-term basis, and it would allow the Storm to see him receive more game time.
Regarded as one of the best young playmakers in the NRL, Pezet has an incredibly bright future ahead of him, and several clubs, such as the Newcastle Knights, have previously shown an interest in him.
The first of two options from the Super League competition is former Parramatta Eels and current Wigan Warriors playmaker Bevan French, who has led Wigan to back-to-back Super League titles.
Awarded the 2023 Man of Steel - the Super League equivalent to NRL's Dally M medal - he has taken his game to new heights after transitioning from the outside backs to the halves and has regularly been linked with a return to the NRL.
One of the competition's hottest commodities, Immortal Andrew Johns, revealed that the Newcastle Knights were interested in him before signing Jack Cogger and Will Pryce. He stated the following:
"He's one of those players that you can't coach against because you don't know what he is going to do. He would be a sensation if he came back," he said.
RELATED >> Bevan French makes decision on future inking four-year deal
Although French inked a four-year extension with Wigan earlier this year, he could very well find himself back in the NRL before the expiration of his contract.
While it is unknown if he has an 'NRL Clause' in his contract, the Dragons could still potentially secure his services but would need to pay a significant transfer fee in which Hunt's $950,000 salary could help them afford French.
After reports emerged on Wednesday evening that the Parramatta Eels have reportedly granted Gutherson an immediate release from the remainder of his contract, the rumour mill has been in overdrive that he will link up with the Dragons for next season.
Set to sign a three-year deal with the club until the end of the 2027 season, Gutherson will more than likely end up in Dragons colours.
However, his role at the club has been the talk of discussion for some time as Flanagan could decide to use at fullback or at five-eighth - this would see Kyle Flanagan move into the No.7 jumper.
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It is understood that he is set to replace Tyrell Sloan at fullback, pushing him to the wing, but there is an option for him to play in the halves. A position he previously played for the Eels in 2016, 2017 and 2018.
“If it was to happen, Tyrell's still got a big part,” coach Shane Flanagan recently said via The Herald.
“I think it'd be fantastic for Tyrell's development to have someone like Gutho around. Tyrell could play on the wing.
"So if I need to have that conversation with Tyrell, I will, but I haven't as yet because it's a little bit pie-in-the-sky stuff at the moment.”
Instead of the Dragons looking to the open market to decide who will replace Ben Hunt, Shane Flanagan may decide to rely on young gun Lyhkan King-Togia, who made his NRL debut this season and is expected for big things.
Progressing from the Jersey Flegg Cup to the NSW Cup to the NRL in 2024, the 19-year-old made four appearances for the club after Kyle Flanagan was ruled out due to suspension and even played the entire 80 minutes at five-eight in a must-win match against the Canberra Raiders in Round 27.
The Dalby Devils junior may still be inexperienced, but if the Dragons see him as the future of the club, they could do what the Wests Tigers did with Lachlan Galvin and slot him straight into the starting halves to gain valuable experience and learn off the likes of Gutherson, Valentine Holmes and Kyle Flanagan.
The former Melbourne Storm playmaker has been linked with a return to the NRL for the past three years and has taken his game to new heights overseas which saw him win the 2022 Man of Steel Award - the equivalent to NRL's Dally M medal.
Although he is contracted with the Leeds Rhinos until the end of 2026, his manager revealed that his deal includes an 'NRL clause' that would allow him to return to Australia if an NRL team came calling.
Croft has also confirmed that he has the desire to return to the competition where he was once recognised as Cooper Cronk's successor and player 39 matches for the Storm and a further 26 games for the Brisbane Broncos.
RELATED >> Croft confirms desire to return to the NRL
Surprisingly, the Dragons previously tried to make a move for Croft at the start of the 2023 season before negotiations fell apart between the Dragons and Salford Red Devils.
Although they were reluctant to pay a $250,000 transfer fee at the time, Hunt's release has freed up nearly $1 million of space in the salary cap and they also don't have the likes of Jayden Sullivan, Moses Mbye and Talatau Amone to rely on in short-term basis.