St George Illawarra: Hunt at ease in Dragons furnace
Local Sport
LIVING FREE: Dragons halfback Ben Hunt. Picture: AAP
IF only Lee Majors made being the Six Million Dollar Man look as easy as Dragons halfback Ben Hunt. Then again, it probably wouldn’t have been much of a show.
Certainly not as good as the one Hunt is putting on at the Dragons this season, looking decidedly unburdened by the expectation that accompanied his arrival.
Having orchestrated an 8-1 start to the year, he’s yet to feel the wrath of a disgruntled red v fanbase, but the 28-year-old says he’s never felt less pressure.
“Everyone talked about pressure coming down here in the off-season and stuff like that but, right from the start, I was feeling pretty comfortable,” Hunt said.
“Mary [coach Paul McGregor] always said from the start he wants me to play my style of footy, just go out there and play how he knows I can.
“He’s been really good in that way and backing me to just go play footy. That belief he had in me, I felt pretty confident coming down here that I could do that.
“I knew we had a good side and it hasn’t really weighed on me at all. I don’t feel like there’s any pressure, I just go out there and do what I like doing.”
His form over the opening nine rounds this season has matched that which spearheaded the Broncos to the 2015 decider and saw him claim a maiden Test jumper that same year.
He wore the Australian jumper again last year but, having been dropped to reserve grade a matter of months before that, he knows how quickly things can change.
It’s why he’s had no problem tempering the hype that even Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy has bought into following his side's defeat to the Dragons last week.
“I wouldn’t say it makes us favourites yet,” Hunt said of the victory.
“There’s some quality teams out there. The team we’re playing this week, Souths, are one of them.
“I’m not worried about [complacency] myself, but I know it can tend to creep into some sides when you’re having some success.
“You start getting ahead of yourself and think you’re going better than you are and you lose two, three games in a row and you’re falling apart. All of a sudden, you’re out the back door.
“I felt like that in the past being part of a Broncos team where I was playing 10 minutes off the bench and thinking I was going better than I was.
“Then I started playing a fulltime role, there was a bit more weight on my shoulders, and I realised it’s not as easy as I thought.
“That’s something, between the coaching staff and the players, we’ve got to hold together.”
His roller coaster 2017 campaign included a largely unexpected Origin debut for Queensland but it’s his omission that would come as a shock this year.
Hunt’s rapidly firming to claim the No.7 jumper left vacant by the rep retirement of Cooper Cronk, but would happily reprise his bench utility role.
He’d just as happily partner Cameron Munster in the halves, making light of the dust-up in Kangaroos that saw the Storm five-eighth disciplined during last year’s World Cup.
“I saw him after the game on Sunday and said ‘come have a chat if you don’t want to fight me’,” Hunt joked.
“He’s a bit of a pest but I’d have no troubles rooming with him. There’s no problems there at all.
“I definitely want to be in that side, whether it’s in the number seven or on the bench again I don’t really mind.
“Just to play for your state is a massive honour and to be in the team anywhere, I’d be pretty happy with that.”
https://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/5390432/hunt-at-ease-in-dragons-furnace/?cs=302
