St George Illawarra forward Dan Hunt would love to be putting his mouthguard in as the NRL grand final kicks off on Sunday, but unfortunately his last job before the whistle blows is to make sure his mobile phone is switched off.

Hunt was a Dragons standout for the first part of the year, before his season was cruelly cut short by a freak Achilles injury suffered in the warm-up to the round 10 clash with Canberra.

The 24-year-old prop knew the moment he felt his tendon snap that he would most likely miss out on a premiership decider, and now he'll watch the match from Wayne Bennett's coaching box.

Talking is always seen as a good sign for players when they're out on the field, but Hunt is well aware he must keep the cone of silence when sitting alongside his coach during the big game.

Hunt was up in the perch for last week's dramatic preliminary final win over Wests Tigers as well, and a far cry from other coaching boxes where profanities and spittle rattle the glass. "Oh yeah, definitely quiet. You don't sit there talking," Hunt told AAP.

"It's very quiet and composed. No swearing ... I've never really been in there when he's (Bennett) blown up so I wouldn't know if that ever happens.

"I was nervous last weekend up in the box with Wayne, probably more nervous than when I play because you obviously can't do anything yourself."

A local junior from Shellharbour, Hunt has had 19 weeks to come to grips with the disappointment of his injury, but it doesn't make it any easier as he prepares for the pain of missing out on being there with his team-mates.

Hunt said it's a job made harder, because he had the feeling even back in round 10 that this would be the Dragons' year.

"Well, we were playing good football and the team was going well especially with the momentum we built last year," he said.

"It's obviously disappointing being injured but I've known that for a while now ... probably the worst part is not being around the boys as much as you usually are.

"I always knew they were going to go well so I was always prepared for the grand final berth but that's football and that's life. You've just got to take the good with the bad."

With that kind of philosophy it's clear that Bennett has been rubbing off on Hunt during their intense sessions together upstairs.

Importantly, Hunt's recovery is coming along nicely and he'll be fit and ready to start next season. But first, he's there for his team-mates, even if it's from on high.

"I'm pretty excited and pretty pumped ... I'm just really happy for the boys and just looking forward to the game," he said.

"(The Achilles) has come along good, I've gone through the surgery with the crutches and the boot, the monotonous rehab and I'm starting to run again three times a week."

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