The Brisbane Broncos have provided an update on their position surrounding Dragons halfback Ben Hunt, saying they had made one enquiry about his availability but "respect the fact he is contracted" and move on.
“I had one conversation with (Dragons CEO) Ryan Webb over the weekend where, after seeing public comments in the media, I enquired as to Ben's availability," said Broncos CEO Dave Donaghy.
"Ben is contracted to the Dragons and we respect that and we move on.
"We are really happy with the squad we have here at the Broncos."
The Broncos' update comes after the Dragons made it clear on Monday that they would not be releasing Hunt from his playing contract and were committed to working through the issues that had led him to request a release.
"The club met with Ben and his management today, where he shared the concerns and frustrations that led to his recent request for a release from his contract," Dragons CEO Ryan Webb said in a statement on Monday.
"The club listened to Ben’s concerns and is committed to working with him throughout the remainder of his playing contract as both Ben and the club share a common goal of winning football games and building a successful football club."
Hunt said his focus would remain on Thursday's clash against the Sharks where he is expected to take his place in the starting lineup.
"I appreciated the open and honest discussion and will continue to work alongside the club and now focus on our game against the Sharks," he said.
The 33-year-old has requested a release from the Dragons and expressed a desire to return home to Queensland but the club has so far denied his request.
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"I'm keen to get it sorted out and I'll meet with the club this week some time and we'll get to the end of it," Hunt said following Friday's loss to the Warriors.
"I had no communication with the club this week, we decided to put it on the back-burner until after this game."
Hunt, who has played 117 games for the Dragons since joining the club from Brisbane in 2018, said he "totally understands" that the Red V's supporters will be disappointed with the drama surrounding his request for a release despite being contracted until the end of 2025.
"We've got very passionate fans and they love this club and I'll keep turning up," he told media after Friday night's loss. "I'm still the captain of the team and I'll always show up for my role until that's changed."