Gareth Widdop says Ben Hunt’s impact at table-topping St George Illawarra has him feeling like he’s back in his Melbourne Storm days.
Widdop and Hunt have established themselves as one of the form halves pairings in the NRL over the opening two rounds, with a hand in six of the eight tries which see the Dragons with the second best attack in the competition.
Hunt’s arrival has been crucial to freeing Widdop up.
Stuck playing alongside six different makeshift halfbacks since his arrival from Melbourne in 2014, Widdop now has the first genuine No.7 with him since he last ran out with Cooper Cronk.
“Yeah, it certainly is (feeling a bit similar). It’s been a few years since I’ve had a similar halfback,” Widdop said ahead of Sunday’s clash with the Gold Coast in Toowoomba.
“And there are similarities there and with Matt Dufty at the back there as well.
“Any time you can keep your spine together for long periods and you’re all on the same page generally you’re team plays well.”
Widdop, who finished third in last year’s Dally M count, is equally excited about what Hunt can do for his own game.
Having come through the grades as a fullback at the Storm, Widdop has spent the majority of his Dragons’ stint pigeon-holed on the left edge.
But with the pair regularly linking directly in the opening two games, Widdop has set up tries on both sides of the field with his passing and classy short-kicking game.
“I’ve found myself on the other side of the field probably more than I did the whole of last year,” Widdop said.
“I think it’s a good move. I’m enjoying that at the moment and knowing I’ve got a halfback there and that’s going to be there for a while.
“When you’ve got a traditional halfback in the team who is going to guide you around with a good kicking game, it certainly does take a lot of pressure off myself.
“I get to roam around a bit more, roam the field and jump in when needed. I’m enjoying that at the moment and knowing I’ve got a halfback there and that’s going to be there for a while.”
Widdop, the Dragons’ captain since 2016, knows all too well it’s far too soon for the Red V to get ahead of themselves.
They were third as late as round 13 last year before missing the finals altogether, while they had a similar fall from first to eighth in the second half of 2016.
“Hopefully we’ve got players in the squad now who have learnt from last year and got a bit more experience not to do that again,” he said.
