Hunt mulls extra year at Broncos as 400-club beckons
Joel Gould |
Ben Hunt is the Peter Pan of NRL halves, which is why 400 first-grade games is not out of reach for the Brisbane playmaker.
Hunt, 35, is contracted to the Broncos until the end of next year, but the way the 339-game veteran is playing and feeling he may elect to go on for another year.
If he does, the Queensland star will likely join Cameron Smith as the only players in premiership history to notch 400 games.
The way he is tracking he will move into second spot on the all-time list by the end of next year and catch Cooper Cronk (372 games).
Hunt is rarely injured and his form lines are strong.
When he returned to the Broncos after seven seasons at St George Illawarra, the wily five-eighth highlighted the romantic aspect of linking with the club that signed him while still at school.
“I am still loving it. I am still enjoying my footy. I love the club,” Hunt said.
“I could keep playing for a couple more years I reckon. At the moment I feel like I can … but we will see how we are going.”
Smith played an incredible 430 matches for the Storm. To be spoken about as a possible 400-gamer blows Hunt away.
“It is amazing, but it is still a long way away. I’ll get through this year first,” he said.
Hunt will be a free agent on November 1, but it is hard to imagine him leaving the Broncos for a second time.
“I am definitely very happy to be back,” he said.
“I am enjoying being coached by Madge (Michael Maguire).
“It is a good group of boys.”
Hunt will line up against the Sydney Roosters at Suncorp Stadium on Friday night, a club he was linked with before rejoining the Broncos.
“We had early discussions, but there was never really a big chance (of joining them),” Hunt said.
Hunt’s halves partner Adam Reynolds was cleared of a hamstring injury that forced him off the field in the 45th minute of the 46-24 win over Wests Tigers on Saturday night.
Reynolds has been named at half for Friday night’s game and will take his place in the side if he gets through Thursday’s captain’s run.
If Reynolds doesn’t play, Hunt said he would step up at No.7 as the chief playmaker if required where he would likely partner utility Billy Walters.
“I have played a couple of games there before and I’m more than happy to go up into the spot,” Hunt said.
“Most of the off-season (Reynolds) didn’t train with us because of his neck, so I did a lot of training there and I know how to play it.
“Billy Walters hopped in the halves (against Wests) and did a good job.”
The Broncos have elevated Jaiyden Hunt from the bench as starting back-rower to replace the suspended Brendan Piakura.
Veteran prop Martin Taupau is the new addition on the bench.
AAP
