St George Illawarra have formally declined Ben Hunt's request for a release one day after reports emerged the Dragons captain wanted out of the struggling NRL club.
Queensland State of Origin representative Hunt signed a contract extension with the Dragons in October last year that tied him to the joint venture until the end of 2025.
But when the club sacked close ally Anthony Griffin as coach last month, speculation began that Hunt could lobby to follow him out the door, having previously pushed for a contract clause that would have tied his future to Griffin's.
Widely regarded as one of the best halfbacks in the game, Hunt had been linked with Canterbury and Gold Coast, while Canberra and Wests Tigers also have the wherewithal to make a play at him for 2024.
But incoming Dragons coach Shane Flanagan confirmed on Saturday that Hunt was part of his plans and that a release would not be entertained.
Flanagan told 2GB he was open to speaking with the halfback after he finished his Queensland duties on Wednesday night but on Sunday, the Dragons officially told Hunt he would not be allowed to leave.
"Ben is contracted through to the end of the 2025 season and is a big part of the current and future plans of the Dragons as the club builds towards achieving sustained success in the coming years," Dragons chief executive Ryan Webb said in a statement.
"We're committed to working with Ben to understand and address his concerns as we all have the same goal of building a strong and successful club."
Webb will front the media in Wollongong on Monday morning to address the situation.
Concerns about Hunt's commitment to the Dragons had already been raised this week when he told reporters during Queensland's State of Origin camp that he didn't know how Flanagan's appointment would affect his future.
Flanagan called Hunt before he had been confirmed as head coach to express his desire to field the 33-year-old at halfback rather than hooker, where he reluctantly spent time earlier this season.
Entrenched in the bottom four on the NRL ladder, the Dragons are at risk of missing a fifth consecutive season of finals but Hunt has been their shining light throughout the string of poor results.
He is the side's only current Origin representative, finished third in the Dally M rankings last season and looms as critical to their rebuild under Flanagan.
