Channel 9 is reporting that the St George/Illawarra Dragons have signed Brisbane Broncos halfback Ben Hunt to a 6 year deal worth over $1 million per season starting from 2018.
If those are the actual figures on his contract, that is an outrageous amount of money. Good luck to Hunt if it is true, but if I was a Dragons supporter a deal like this would really worry me.
I personally see Hunt as just an OK halfback. He isn’t a bad player, and he will have the occasional game where he plays really well, but I don’t see Hunt as one of those players who is going to drag your team kicking and screaming to a Premiership.
Hunt is the sort of halfback that needs a good offsider to make the big plays. He doesn’t really have that x-factor that the top class halfbacks have.
At 26 years of age, Hunt is about to enter the prime of his career. By signing Hunt the Dragons hope that they don’t have to worry about the halfback position for at least the next half decade.
Big contracts like this can really weigh on a player, and I worry that is what we are going to see happen to Hunt. Just have a look at what big contracts did to players like Kieran Foran and Daly Cherry-Evans. Big money comes with big expectations, and if you’re not playing like a world beater while earning over $1 million a year, the fans and media will eventually turn on you.
Better players than Ben Hunt have been smashed by supporters for not being worth way less money than Hunt will be earning from next season.
One thing to keep in mind is that the salary cap will be rising over the next few season, and top of the line players will be earning well over $1 million per season at every single club in the competition. In five years time we may look at a contract like Hunt’s and think it is a bargain!
I hope it all works out for Hunt….when you’re on over $1 million a year for doing anything you are normally fine. I really just don’t want to see this turn into a millstone around Hunts neck.
