Ben Hunt has confirmed he is keen to re-sign with St George Illawarra only months after his highly-publicised push for a release from his current deal.
But the veteran halfback has remained coy on his reasons for the dramatic change of heart.
Reports this week linked Hunt to a one-year contract extension with the Dragons that would take him through to the end of the 2026 season, by which time he would be 36.
After Friday night's 30-10 loss to Newcastle, Hunt confirmed he was indeed keen to open contract negotiations.
"Yeah," Hunt said when asked whether he wanted to remain with the Dragons.
"There's been a lot of things that have changed."
It marks quite the turnaround for Hunt, whose agitations for a release cast a long shadow over the second half of Saints' underwhelming 2023 season.
Contracted through 2025, the halfback last year expressed concerns with the direction in which the Dragons were heading after they sacked coach and close confidant Anthony Griffin.
Hunt had been keen on an immediate release to return home to Queensland, likely to finish 2023 with former club Brisbane.
The Dragons denied his initial request but once it became apparent Hunt was firm on a release, the two parties held crisis talks.
Hunt eventually committed to staying put and helping usher in the Shane Flanagan era at the joint venture.
Along with reluctant winger Zac Lomax, granted his own release this week, Hunt has been one of the Dragons' best players so far this year despite the side's struggles on a 2-3 start.
"Whether it's the talent in the dressing room or there's something else underlying, I need to get to the bottom of it," Flanagan said of his side's inconsistencies.
Hunt admonished himself for struggling to boot the Dragons into ascendancy during the rainy clash with Newcastle.
"They just played the wet conditions better, I let us down with our kicking game a lot, just put us in bad situations," Hunt said.
"They kicked better and capitalised on it."
