Amid the talk of a shift to hooker, the bench, or even reserve grade, St George Illawarra coach Paul McGregor is optimistic a new halves partner will be the circuit breaker required to spark Ben Hunt.
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The Dragons' $6 million man has struggled in recent times, the halfback lacking confidence as his team's losses have mounted.
Last week's performance in the clash with the Warriors was particularly disappointing, Hunt and five-eighth Corey Norman failing to take control of a rudderless St George Illawarra attack in the 18-0 defeat.
McGregor's disappointment with his spine's performance led to a reshuffle for Monday's clash with the Bulldogs.
Norman has shifted to fullback, Hunt to five-eighth and Adam Clune will make his debut at halfback. Issac Luke has also returned to the bench to provide added spark at hooker.
"I'm still looking for the right combination within the spine," McGregor said.
"Bringing Issac in off the interchange will give us that injection of speed around the dummy half position. Cam (McInnes) had to do a lot of work last week, so we weren't as effective as I would've liked last week there.
"Bringing young Clune in, he's had a great apprenticeship. This is his first pre-season, he's done a really good job in and around training the way we play and I haven't been happy with the combinations there at the moment, so I made the change."
While it seems an eternity, it was just two years ago that Hunt was tearing apart opposition defences.
With Gareth Widdop controlling the Dragons attack, the halfback was able to challenge opponents with a free-running style that saw him take on the defensive line.
But with Widdop injuring his shoulder before eventually departing the club, Hunt has taken on a greater playmaking responsibility. It's a burden that has reflected in his performances on the field.
Now with a new halves partner known for his game management and ability to steer the team around the park, albeit a debutant, McGregor is hopeful Hunt will return to his natural style.
"They're going to play different roles for sure. It's about Ben getting his running game back and bringing in a seven that controls the game, that's what Adam does.
"He's got nice composure, he knows the game well and it frees Ben up to run more."
While Clune won't make his debut until Monday afternoon, the Dragons are confident he has a future at the club, announcing on Friday the halfback had re-signed until the end of the 2022 season.
McGregor is confident the Albion Park Oak Flats junior won't solely have a positive impact on Hunt's game, with the coach also expecting Norman to benefit from the shift to fullback.
"As the game's changing, we're watching on a regular basis the speed of the game, it's about playing at speed consistently with and without the football.
"Once you get ruck recognition where it's quick, you've got to be able to play on top of that and [Corey's] very good at that and Ben's very good at that.
"With Corey, playing at fullback, he'll be in and around the ball for all the yardage and transition, so it's a good opportunity for him to be on ball for most of the game."
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