Gus blasts 'misleading' claims about Hunt's next move

1 year ago 90

Phil Gould has dismissed speculation of Ben Hunt returning to the Brisbane Broncos, saying that the mid-season determination was ne'er an option.

The Dragons connected Monday met with Hunt and for the 2nd clip blocked his petition to permission the club, with some parties agreeing to reassess aboriginal successful the year, leaving a drawstring of reports that the Origin prima would permission the nine instantly wide of the mark.

In the pb up to Hunt's gathering with the Dragons, the inferior had been heavy linked with a mid-season power to the Broncos to effort to triumph a premiership with his aged club. It was reported that helium would past motion a multi-year woody with the Titans.

Gould said the Broncos limb of that woody was ne'er going to hap and that the communicative had snowballed without factual basis.

Ben Hunt is interviewed by Paul Gallen aft the Dragons' circular 17 nonaccomplishment to the Warriors. (Getty)

"There person been a batch of misleading reports astir Ben Hunt. He has made a request, a precise nationalist request, it's been denied… the nine wants to clasp him to his contract. I deliberation that's wherever it settles astatine the moment," Gould said connected Nine's 100% Footy connected Monday.

"I don't deliberation determination has been immoderate conversations betwixt his absorption oregon Ben Hunt astir the Broncos. I don't deliberation Ben Hunt ever offered compensation to wage his mode retired of his contract… People tally disconnected with their mouths with these types of things."

Gould added that the Dragons had thing to summation from letting Hunt locomotion instantly and said the club's incoming manager Shane Flanagan would beryllium keen to broker a swap woody with Hunt's imaginable suitors alternatively than conscionable letting him walk.

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"There is nary mode (Flanagan) would fto him spell for immoderate fiscal compensation oregon to conscionable fto him locomotion retired of his declaration unless immoderate nine wanted Ben Hunt, helium would beryllium saying I privation Tom and Bill, and you get Ben Hunt, and helium would get 2 players retired of it," Gould said.

"That's however helium operates."

Gould's comments came aft Dragons CEO Ryan Webb, nine president Andrew Lancaster and Flanagan met with Hunt connected Monday morning.

Speaking connected 100% Footy, Nine's Michael Chammas revealed that Hunt had walked into that gathering with the wide thought that helium would enactment with the Dragons for the remainder of the play but wanted to beryllium fixed a merchandise to permission successful the off-season.

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"I person been told… his volition isn't to permission the nine mid-season. He doesn't privation to locomotion distant from his teammates, but for the merchandise astatine the extremity of the season, helium wants to determination connected from the club," Chammas said.

"The Dragons consciousness a disconnect betwixt what Ben Hunt is saying and what his absorption is saying… They privation clip to beryllium to Ben Hunt that the nine is not a handbasket case. They privation clip [for] Shane Flanagan to amusement him this roadworthy representation retired of the existent predicament they find themselves in.

"I deliberation they person agreed to revisit this successful the off-season, and if Ben Hunt inactive feels the aforesaid mode astatine the extremity of the play the Dragons volition person a chat with him and effort and enactment retired a solution then."

Paul Gallen said determination was small anticipation of the 2016 premiership manager talking Hunt into staying.

"I don't cognize whether Flanagan volition beryllium capable to speech him astir it, I anticipation helium tin for Flanagan's sake," Gallen said.

"He's been large individually arsenic a player… I'll ne'er instrumentality that distant from him. He has been fantastic, but determination hasn't been a batch other that's travel with it.

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"…If I was the Dragons, I'd beryllium making definite they get a triumph retired of it. Whether it's financially, oregon whether they prime up different subordinate oregon two. However it is going to work, the Dragons person to get a triumph retired of this. Shane Flanagan needs to get a triumph retired of this.

"Players are good wrong their rights not to move. I've been with the Sharks wherever they've told players to determination connected and the player's said 'No, we're not going, I person a declaration here.

"If the Dragons don't privation to merchandise him, they don't person to merchandise him.

"The information is, you can't conscionable merchandise him and expect to person $800,000 to $900,000 backmost successful the headdress and spell walk it connected idiosyncratic else. The information is determination are conscionable not prime halfbacks, oregon for that fact, prime players astatine the moment, to spell and walk that wealth on."

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