If it is true that Sullivan was "promised" the 7 in 2024 and now with Hunt staying for 2024 and 2025, the club has gone back on their word and to me Sullivan would be within his "rights" to seek a release knowing now that he won't be the 7. Filling in here and there isn't the same. He would want inclusion every week in the 7 and if he was to get the 7 he would have been able to try harder to play in the 7 more times in 2023 so that he would have more game time in firsts to carryover into 2024 full time. Yes it is a whinge but I can see his point of view. If the club was honest and said to Sullivan that Hunt will be re-signed and therefore you will have to wait longer, then I'm sure Sullivan would not have re-signed to 2025 and might be instead signed with the Bulldogs.
We are in turmoil as a club. It is so unsettling already and pre-season hasn't even started and all we have to look forward to is a very probable bleak 2023.
We are definitely in severe turmoil if we believe everything that is being said and reported on !
The thing is - season 2024 is still 18 months and two pre-seasons away.
Sullivan signed the new deal knowing full well that the club was going to be making decisions on Hunt at the back end of the season just gone. As Hooper quite rightly states in this article, none of us can deny the club wanting to retain its captain (especially as he's had a good season).
I'm not sure we truly know what has been promised to Sullivan? I cant see the club having a gun held to its head about Sullivan being guaranteed the half back position for 24'/25'? At the same time, there is still no guarantee that Sullivan is going to be success either (he's had his fair share of injury woes stalling his development so far - but I don't want to be short sighted here either).
Same with Ben Hunt. I would also expect the club to have been having the hard word with him that his future role is where it best benefits the team, which if we believe whats been said in the press we've basically had a gun held to our head with the salary expectations and wanting clauses in the contract about who is coach and the position he is going to be playing (surely this is not the case).
I've also mentioned this in other threads about Sullivan (and Sloan as well). You've signed the deal - now get out there in pre-season, rip in and make it impossible for the coach not to select you. If he isn't selecting you, then he will have pressure coming on him from other angles & sources to do so.
One thing is for sure - we need to stop being seen as a soft touch. If we are going to release, we need the appropriate compensation coming our way (both financially and in terms of balancing our roster). We can't allow another Saab situation to take place without the appropriate compensation.