Dragons halfback Ben Hunt has revealed Shane Flanagan’s brutal assessment of the club and how the new coach plans on fixing things.
Flanagan had previously told foxsports.com.au that he would spark an attitude change in Wollongong this summer and Hunt elaborated further this week.
“The conversations I’ve had with him, (2024) is going to be a team built on hard work and discipline and competing right to the final whistle,” Hunt told Fox Sports News.
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“He believes over the past few years there have been a lot of guys who haven’t really fought for that extra inch and he wants to be a team who can grind teams out and really fight right to the death.
“We’ve got a lot of hard work to do to get to that point but it’s exciting.”
Hunt is contracted until the end of 2025 but asked for an immediate release halfway through this year after he became disillusioned with the direction of the club.
Flanagan was then appointed and swiftly rejected the requests and Hunt is on board with the premiership-winning coach’s vision for the club.
“I’m definitely committed for next year and want to win a premiership,” Hunt said.
“Flanno has come here to do the same thing and I know we’ve got a long way to go and a lot of things need to change for that to happen but it would be pretty special after the career I’ve had and how things have gone, to go out with a premiership is a big dream but you’ve got to go after it.
“Flanno reached out and asked if I could come back a couple of days early, we’ve got a lot of young guys down there and he wanted me to come back for their big field days and help out and I thought I’d jump in.”
There are two spine spots up for grabs with five-eighth Junior Amone waiting sentencing over assault charges, while fullback Tyrell Sloan is injured.
“It’s a tough one to pick at the moment with Junior’s thing going on and Kyle (Flanagan) training really well,” Hunt said.
“The fullback is a tough one too, Sloany is injured at the moment so he’s not getting much training in and Zac is working really hard and improving his game.
“They both have different strengths, Sloany is more of an attacking player, really brings that element whereas Zac is probably better in defence so it’ll come down to what Flanno wants.”
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DES MAKES HALVES CALL
Veteran coach Des Hasler has quickly settled into his new life on the Gold Coast is diving straight into business at the Titans.
News Corp reports he’s made a call on his starting halves with Tanah Boyd to get the first opportunity at halfback alongside five-eighth Kieran Foran.
Boyd nailed down the No.7 jersey last season but did miss the final three games due to shoulder surgery. Youngster Tom Weaver stepped in as his replacement.
The axing of Justin Holbrook as coach could’ve posed as a threat to Boyd’s spot in the halves but Hasler has given the 23-year-old the nod.
Boyd will return to full contact training in the new year. Knowing that 20-year-old Weaver is right behind him will motivate Boyd too.
“I’ve got to come back in and show what I can do and do my job,” he said.
“I’ll be pretty focused on playing halfback, that’s what I did last year, and I want to keep getting better and take us to the finals.
“You’ve got to have depth. You look at the good sides like Penrith, it’s next man up. You’ve got to have that to be successful.
“We’ve got blokes fighting for spots everywhere. It’s good, I love it.
“It keeps me wanting to get back out there and do my best.
“It’s always healthy and me and Tommy get along well.”
Boyd, who has played 60 NRL games over five seasons, is already used to life under Hasler and believes his game will go to another level in 2024.
“I’m loving him (Hasler). He is so passionate and gets us going before training.
“His detail is unbelievable, there’s so much coaching for us. It’s been so good. I only see good things for us.
“He rides us and if you don’t perform or train well, you get told. It’s been so good and that’s what we need.
“He’s already picked up a few things with me. That’s the good thing, he lets you know straight away.
“I can’t wait to learn off him. He’s been around for a very long time and seen it all.
“I know how much I can develop under him.”
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NO RUSTY IN VEGAS
The NRL have copped a blow to their historic season-opening double-header in Las Vegas with superstar actor Russell Crowe unable to attend.
The Rabbitohs co-owner will be shooting a film in Budapest when his side faces the Sea Eagles in Sin City next year on March 3 AEDT.
Crowe has still been involved in the planning of the NRL’s bold bid to crack the congested US sports market and has had a face-to-face meeting with NRL executives.
But the Hollwood star confirmed this week he won’t be at the games, which are the first in a five-year plan to play the opening round in the US.
“My schedule is going to put me in Budapest, so I don’t get to go to the game in Vegas,” Crowe said on Hit Network Radio.
“I am sort of giving them a bit of help in terms of how they should be marketing things and stuff but, it might have been easier to be in on that concept at ground level, but I wasn’t.
“They have a lot of energy for it and the NRL are very confident about it so we’ll see how we go.”
The NRL are still trying to get Manly fan Hugh Jackman involved in the season opener but are struggling to lock him in.
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RAIDERS RECRUIT READY TO ROCK N ROLL
English recruit Morgan Smithies has made a huge declaration ahead of Ricky Stuart’s selection headache in the nation’s capital.
The 23-year-old arrived in Australia on Friday to join the Raiders’ pre-season, gearing up to earn a spot in the club’s starting side in 2024.
Smithies won a Super League title with Wigan last season and is now vying for a position in Canberra’s forward pack, explaining he won’t be “making up the numbers” after signing a three-year contract.
“I see myself as a number 13 but I can play back row, or anywhere really,” Smithies said to The Daily Telegraph.
“There will be a bit of competition for positions… but that makes you train harder and with that comes improvement.
“I don’t think it’s a bad thing that there is a challenge for spaces. I just have to work hard and show what I can do in the pre-season.”
Queensland forward Corey Horsburgh emerged as Stuart’s favoured option at lock last season, while Hudson Young and Elliott Whitehead are the starting backrowers.
Meanwhile, in the front row Joseph Tapine and Josh Papalii are the regular front row pairing, while Trey Mooney, Hohepa Puru and Ata Mariota will also be fighting for a spot.
That leaves Smithies to potentially ply his trade off the bench to begin the season, but the Englishmen will be desperate to stamp his mark.
Smithies also revealed he had added ball-playing to his skills in 2023, hoping to emulate Victor Radley’s skills.
“I’m adding a little bit more smarts to my game in attack, linking with halves and improving my ball playing,” Smithies said.
“It’s something I have been doing over the last few years. I always try to work hard but I want to improve my game.”
Smithies is the newest English recruit in a long line of successful imports, with Josh Hodgson, George Williams and John Bateman all playing for the Raiders over the last 10 years.
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