After being overlooked for game one, Hunt was the Maroons best in a face-saving 20-18 victory over NSW in an Origin III dead rubber on Wednesday night.

The 31-year-old grabbed two tries and saved a pair at his own end with two of his 41 tackles in an 80-minute effort in the No. 9 jumper he continues to make a fine fist of at Origin level.

Friday's game against the Sea Eagles will come on a short turnaround but, with the Dragons depth stretched by staggered suspensions to 12 players, Griffin will hope to see Hunt and Blues back-rower Tariq Sims back up.

"I've spoken to both of them, they're obviously sore but they seem OK," Griffin said.

"[Hunt] was outstanding. He's having a great season and they're probably wishing they had him there in game one now. He was obviously the best player on the field.

"I think, over 80 minutes at that level of football, it's the best I've seen him play. He's our halfback but to be able to go into a game like that [at hooker] and put on a performance like he did just shows you the class and type of player that he is.

"It was great to see him do that for Queensland, being a Queenslander myself, and I thought Tariq was really strong for NSW as well. We need them to do that now over the next eight weeks for the Dragons."

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While the Dragons have been wildly inconsistent on the team front, Hunt's consistently been his side's best, virtually dragging it over the line in a golden-point win over the Warriors a fortnight ago.

"I thought his performance for us against the Warriors two weeks ago was one of his best performances for the Dragons," Griffin said.

"Some of the team plays he came up with and the way he put himself on the line physically and led us out of that predicament we were in the last 20 minutes was outstanding.

"He's having a really good season, we're happy with him and he seems happy within himself with his football."

It continues Hunt's best season since his debut year with the club after Griffin appointed his former Broncos under 20s protege captain.

The call was widely questioned given the pressure Hunt has been under since joining the Dragons, but it's a call that's been vindicated.

"Like a lot of us over [recent] years he's probably not entirely happy with his performances from time to time, but he's been fit and he's been consistent this year," Griffin said.

"I think he's just very relaxed. He's a really honest character, he's proud of his performances. As I said at the end of last year, he wasn't happy with how things have been going.

"He's in control, he's the captain now. I thought it would help even though that wasn't the main reason, I think he was right person for our club to be captain, but that's empowered him.

"The extra responsibility's made him probably care a little bit more about his football. I'm not saying he didn't care about it, but it's unlocked another level of performance out of him.

"I'm obviously a big fan of his and it's a great thing to see how well he's playing and how much he's enjoying his football at the moment."

Griffin will need the likes of Hunt and Sims to step up in clubland amid suspension issues, with the first crop sitting out on Friday.

"Origin's over now and at this stage of the season the intensity and speed of the competition, and the purpose that everyone plays with, picks up across the park," Griffin said.

"It's the sprint in the marathon now, the next six to eight weeks, so individually players have got lift and as a team we've got to go with that, particularly over the next few weeks when we have to rest a few players."