HE'LL start in the Dragons No. 9 but Ben Hunt is unlikely to play the 80 minutes against the Titans on Friday as new coach Dean Young looks to get the most out of his mercurial play-maker.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Hunt's shifting roles have been a major talking point around the Dragons this season, with the 30-year-old playing in the halves, at dummy-half and as a bench super-sub. Young has made it clear he sees Hunt as a nine for the remainder of the season, selecting him there for last week's victory over Brisbane.
Having played 80 minutes at dummy-half at Origin level, there's no doubt over his ability to go the distance, but Young feels he'll get the best out of Hunt in two stints with Billy Brittain subbing in from the interchange bench.
"I think if we can find Hunty a spell we're going to get even better footy out of him," Young said.
"He's playing some good footy at the moment but I reckon it'll improve if we can find him a spell somewhere. It's not easy in the middle.
"When you're the size of Cam McInnes and the size of Hunty and you've got 115-kilo bodies coming a you for 80 minutes it takes its toll.
"Billy Brittain's everything I love in a player, he rocks up to work every day, rips in and competes hard. I want to give Hunty a spell at some stage so Billy's earned the right through his training to come on to the interchange bench and show me what he's got."
The frankness on team selections is fast becoming a trademark for Young, who ruled out any changes to his 17 barring late mishaps.
The likes of Tristan Sailor, Eddie Blacker, Max Feagai and Jayden Sullivan were all named on an extended bench, but Young won't be basing selections on a look to the future.
"They won't be getting a run, no," Young said when asked about the possibility of late changes.
"At this present time I'll be picking the best available team to go out and win the game. I won't be looking toward the future. Down the track my thoughts might change but, mathematically, we can still make the finals so I'll be picking the side that's going to do the job and give ourselves the best chance of getting a win.
"If we win every game we're a chance but that seems a fair way away at the moment. I was happy with the way the boys competed for the full 80 minutes for the second week in a row. The challenge for this group now is competing harder in those 80 minutes. That's what I'm looking for."
Tariq and Korbins Sims are unavailable through injury, while Tyrell Fuimaono and Paul Vaughan are suspended, the latter one of the first casualties of the NRL's crackdown on crusher tackles.
"It is disappointing, Vaughany's missed two weeks [for a biosecurity breach] and we get him back for a week and now he's gone for another two," Young said.
"With the NRL sending out an email to all the clubs about cracking down on these things it wasn't worth the fight and the chance of missing him for three weeks.
"No one wants to see crusher tackles in the game. The ones where people are holding them up, going slow to the ground and landing hard on their head... that is not what we want in the NRL.
"But I think some crusher tackles are happening pretty quick and, with the way some attackers are hitting and spinning into the tackle, sometimes accidents happen. I'm sure in a lot of cases they're not done on purpose, they just find themselves in that situation so it's a tough one."
The Titans have managed just four wins this season but have shown enough improvement for the club to extend coach Justin Holbrook's contract until the end of 2024 this week.
Holbrook and Young share a Dapto Canaries connection, with the latter expecting the extension to boost the Titans this week.
"I've known Justin a long time, he captain-coached Dapto where I'm from," Young said.
"I had a couple of good mates that played in that side when he won the comp down there [in 2006], he coached in the 20s with the Dragons so I had an association with him there. I think he's done a wonderful job with the Titans.
"What Justin does is give his players confidence, especially with the ball. The Titans are playing some attractive footy and, if you're not connected in your d-line, they'll score points. We're ready for that."
Mitch Jennings
Sports writer. Sport is my passion, rugby league my first love.
Sports writer. Sport is my passion, rugby league my first love.
