St George Illawarra halfback Ben Hunt will take on the 2021 NRL season in a familiar setting under the guidance of his former Brisbane Broncos coach, Anthony Griffin.
The 30-year-old half says that the culture that Griffin has built at the club is more enjoyable but also straight forward and disciplined.
This disciplined approach by the new coach aims to get the most out of his squad and in the best way possible, according to Hunt.
"It's been great having him back here, it's been a real enjoyable place to be. There's a real buzz and excitement of change and something new," Hunt said.
"He's very clear about what he wants, he tells you how it is and expects all of his players to stay in line which makes it really enjoyable and pushes us to put our best foot forward.
"He's created an environment that he had back at the Broncos."
Griffin led the Broncos to a preliminary final in his first year as coach and will be hoping to have a similar effect with the Red V.
Confidence and certainty is something coach Griffin has provided to Ben Hunt this pre-season and believes that the number 7 jumper best suits him.
"It definitely gives you a lot of confidence that the head coach and all the coaching staff are really backing you to play [halfback]" Hunt said.
"It gives you a spring in your step right from the get-go."
With Adam Clune, Junior Amone, Jayden Sullivan and Corey Norman keeping Hunt on his toes, competitiveness and depth are not something the Dragons lack.
"Training's been great. All the boys are competing really hard," Hunt said.
"We have had a lot of runs with each other and against each other and now it's about getting out there and playing the trials to see what happens when the bullets start firing."
