Ben Hunt's exit relegates Dragons below Wests Tigers as Brisbane Broncos get immediate boost

Shane Flanagan's side have dropped below Benji Marshall's men in wooden spoon betting.

Adam Lucius
·Contributor
·2-min read

The Ben Hunt effect is already being felt ahead of the 2025 NRL premiership, with his exit from St George Illawarra relegating the Dragons to wooden spoon favourites while elevating new club Brisbane. The NSW TAB has opened the Dragons up at $5 to suffer the most losses next season and finish bottom of the ladder.

They sit on the last line of betting ($67) to win the competition despite an improved performance under Shane Flanagan this year. Punters believe Hunt's departure – along with Zac Lomax's exit – will be too much to overcome despite the Red V luring rep trio Damien Cook, Clint Gutherson and Val Holmes to the club.

Ben Hunt, Benji Marshall and Shane Flanagan.
Ben Hunt's exit from the Dragons has seen Shane Flanagan's side plummet below the Wests Tigers in wooden spoon betting. Image: Getty/AAP

In stark contrast, the Broncos are now the third best-backed side following news of Hunt's return to Brisbane. TAB spokesman Rohan Welsh told Yahoo Sport Australia: "The Tigers went up as the longest odds to win the premiership but that changed as soon as Ben Hunt was officially signed by Brisbane.

"We then pushed the Dragons' price out as a reflection of where we now see them without Hunt. We think they’re going to miss him and Lomax and that it's going to take time for Cook, Gutherson and Holmes to bed in.

"There are also concerns over their forward rotation while the signing of Lachlan Ilias has not really shifted things. Those concerns are reflected in the most losses (wooden spoon) market. The Tigers have been (spoon) favourites the last few years but the Dragons currently occupy that spot. There could be a lot of change to the premiership and wooden spoon market after the first month of the competition."

The Dragons' first four games are against Canterbury, South Sydney, Melbourne and Parramatta. Both the Dragons and Canberra are above Wests Tigers in wooden spoon betting.

Canterbury boss Phil Gould believes the Tigers will finally end their three-year stay at the bottom of the ladder and could push for a first finals appearance since 2011. "Wests Tigers…They have done really well…That’s now a Top 8 NRL roster…That’s my first tip for 2025," Gus tweeted after Terrell May's move to Concord.

Wests Tigers coach Benji Marshall.
Benji Marshall looks on during a Wests Tigers game in 2024. (Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)

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Hunt's Brisbane comeback has seen their premiership price shorten to $8, attracting 10 per cent of punters' money. Premiers Penrith (25%) and runners-up Melbourne (35%) are the most fancied, with South Sydney under Wayne Bennett the fourth-best backed side, just ahead of Cronulla. There is also a fair amount of love for big Sydney clubs Parramatta and the Bulldogs.

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