The bitter and twisted end to Ben Hunt’s time at St George Illawarra is yet another example of change being a fundamentally necessary part of NRL life. For clubs and players alike, change can be a good thing. But like Garth in Wayne’s World and his moving hand which can only be quelled by repeated hammer blows, they tend to fear change to the status quo.
A change of scenery, likely to his home state where a hefty and lengthier contract awaits at the Dolphins, was what Hunt needed. And whether they realise it now or next year when someone who wants to be in that number seven jersey, St George Illawarra can now finally start afresh without a 34-year-old half on a seven-figure wage chewing up a huge portion of their salary cap. The old “loyalty is dead” refrain is often tossed out at times like these but for myriad reasons, very few NRL players are afforded the luxury of spending their entire career at one club.
More League There is often a stigma attached to those who switch clubs, claims of being disloyal or a mercenary when in actual fact they are just an employee leaving a workplace for a better deal elsewhere, like countless workers in less glamorous occupations do every day of the year. A new start in different colours, particularly midway or towards the end of a career can often be a much-needed jolt for a player when they grow stale at their current team. Shaun Johnson, who brought down the curtain on his NRL career recently, is the perfect example of a high-prof.
