Unfinished Broncos business drives Hunt ahead of 350th
Joel Gould |
Reece Walsh was a one-year-old when Ben Hunt signed with Brisbane as a youth dreaming of winning a premiership with the glamour club.
Nothing has changed on that front for Hunt, except that 22 years later he is a veteran of the game and set to play his 350th NRL match in Newcastle on Sunday.
The 35-year-old halfback, who will run out alongside talismanic fullback Walsh, has achieved everything in the game bar winning an elusive premiership.
It is why his return to the Broncos this year, after seven years at St George Illawarra, had a large hint of “unfinished business” about it.
Hunt won the Rugby League World Cup in 2022 as a starting hooker and has also slotted into the halves as a utility in his 15 Tests. He played half, hooker and off the bench in 20 State of Origin games for Queensland, and has been part of four series wins.
Few players can achieve those heights in multiple positions and make it look as seamless as Hunt. It has been the same story throughout his NRL career, where he has proven to be the ultimate team man.
The 2015 grand final, lost by the Broncos in golden point, is as close as he has come to lifting the trophy he craves most.
“That will definitely seal it all. You play this game to win a premiership,” Hunt said.
“I have achieved a lot in my career, but that’s the one I really want. If I can get that premiership in the next couple of years, it will be happy days.”
Hunt, typical of his career, started the season at No.6, moved to hooker and is now back at halfback until captain Adam Reynolds returns from injury in a fortnight to boost the side’s title tilt.
“If we get a couple of wins in our last few games and we seal a spot in the finals, then we get Reyno back,” Hunt said.
“I definitely think we have the troops there that can (win a competition). We just have to turn up and play our best game each week.”
Hunt was one of famous Broncos recruiter Cyril Connell’s last signings at the age of just 13. He was a regular in Queensland schoolboy sides until the age of 18, a sign he was a born footballer and a consistent one.
He was the inaugural national under-20s player of the year while playing for Brisbane in 2008, winning a Toyota Camry for his efforts.
It is fitting that his 350th NRL match, one day after Manly captain Daly Cherry-Evans reaches the milestone, should be in a Broncos jersey. Hunt will become the sixth player in history to reach the mark.
“It’s a very short list and something not many people have been able to achieve,” Hunt said.
“I have to pinch myself. It’s something I’m very proud of.
“It makes it all the more special to do it in this jersey. My career started at the Broncos and there are a lot of great memories in this place.
“Old Daly, he has snuck in there and got me by a day the old fella, but I am super happy for him as well.”
AAP
