Hunt backs old mate McCullough to recapture top form in Wollongong
Dragons Den
COMEBACK: Injury hampered Broncos hooker Andrew McCullough's on-loan time at Newcastle last season. Picture: Max Mason-Hubers
THE Dragons pursuit of veteran Broncos hooker Andrew McCullough has raised eyebrows, but former teammate Ben Hunt is confident his former NYC skipper can recapture his best under Anthony Griffin in Wollongong.
The respective clubs are yet to confirm McCullough's long mooted switch to the Dragons but it appears fait accompli, with reports hinting at a three-year deal. It comes just a week after the club raised the ire of fans in letting beloved skipper Cam McInnes sign a four-year deal from next year with arch-rivals Cronulla without a fight.
At 31, McCullough is four years older than McInnes and on the comeback trail after tearing his hamstring off the bone while playing on loan for Newcastle last season. He had a year to run on his deal with the Broncos but reportedly issued an 'extend or release' ultimatum as the saga over his future dragged on.
His arrival would see McInnes shift to lock, though speculation is now rife that he could link with Cronulla a year early after signing with the Sharks to play in the No. 13 jumper. The circumstances will place plenty of pressure on McCullough's shoulders, but Hunt has no doubt his good mate will bounce back from recent setbacks.
"It'd be nice, I've heard it's in the making and it'd be nice to have him here," Hunt said.
"He brings a lot Macca. He brings a lot of leadership, he's obviously been around the game a long time and he's very professional about everything he does on and off the field. I know he's had a couple of injuries now but I think the hamstring one is just a bit of a freak thing.
"I definitely back him to get back to playing the best footy he can. He's good for the culture of the club, he was always involved in everything culture-wise when I was at the Broncos. He won't just be a smart footy head, he'll be helping off the field as well."
Read more: McInnes all class in addressing Dragons exit
With or without McInnes on deck, McCullough's arrival leaves Hunt certain to start the season in his preferred No. 7 jumper, though he'd already been given that nod by Griffin in their first conversation after he was anointed Dragons coach.
"I'll be playing halfback, it's the only place I've trained all preseason and it's the position Hook's said he wants me to play so it's all systems go for number seven at this stage," Hunt said.
"Just after Hook signed on to coach he gave me a call and we had a good chat about things at the club and what's going on. He said to me straight up that he wants me to play number seven and that's where he sees me playing my best footy. We've just got on with it from there.
"It's good to have the full support and the coaching staff are really behind you and driving you to be better in that position. It's not getting comfortable, but it's just feeling more secure and confident in my role.
"He's been driving those things he knows I can do well. If he sees something I'm not doing at training he knows I can do he'll be into me on that. It's just kind of picked up from where we finished all those years ago."
It's a marked change from his nomadic journey around the team sheet last season as the club's controversial 'selection committee' saw him play in the halves, at hooker and from the bench.
It was something perhaps only former coach Paul McGregor found more frustrating, ultimately prompting him to depart, and Hunt's welcomed the clarity of the "once voice" Griffin has provided.
"I want to play seven but, at the end of the day, I want to play footy," Hunt said.
"If it's in a different position that's the way it is, but it does get frustrating at times. There was a lot going on last year and, at the end of the day, it was probably the players' fault.
"We weren't winning games so there had to be something done, but it does make it easier when you've just got one voice calling the shots and everyone buying into what he wants to do and the vision he has. It does makes things a bit clearer."
Who partners Hunt in the halves is another question, with Corey Norman currently embroiled in an off-field investigation into his alleged involvement in a Cronulla street brawl. It's still in the hands of the Integrity Unit, but it could leave him facing an early-season suspension.
Should that occur, Adam Clune and Jayen Sullivan will be vying for a spot, though young gun Junior Amone has also thrown his hat in the ring.
"I feel for [Norman] in this situation because it's a bit of a tough one," Hunt said.
"I'm hoping it'll be all sweet. He's training really well at the moment and he's eager to get out and prove himself as well. He turned 30 the other day and he's in an [off] contract year so he's pretty keen to play some good footy.
"The [other] boys are going really well. We've had a fair bit of time running against each other and with each other now both [Clune and Sullivan], and even young Junior who's just come in is training really well as well.
"We've got a fair bit of depth in the position now so it's always healthy to have some competition."
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