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 Tacklesย 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.
7Te Maire Martin
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.
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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.
Pezet on loan for 12 months looks sensible, as does developing their home grown guy, King Togia. Developing your own (cheap) talent is the Penrith and Cronulla strategy, and that alone is a recommendation for the strategy.