300-gamer: Dragons captain Ben Hunt’s humble super power in the brutal world of NRL

Talent, of course. Support too. A fair whack of good genetics and a lot of luck.

You need to have passion for the game and resilience to withstand everything it throws at you.

St George Illawarra captain Ben Hunt, who will reach the 300 milestone against North Queensland on Saturday night, has all of that.

But he also has a quality that people never fail to undervalue: vulnerability.

It’s not the coolest thing to be known for in rugby league but it’s relatable. It helps build good relationships.

And for someone like Hunt, who has been through the wringer across 299 NRL games, it’s a wonderful quality that he’s been able to hold on to.

On Tuesday night, his Dragons teammates, coaching staff, family, friends and some special guests from within the game all gathered to celebrate the milestone in Queensland.

Broncos coach Kevin Walters was there, as well as ex-teammates Jharal Yow Yee, Jordan Kahu, Alex Glenn and ex-Bronco Clinton Schifcofske.

They were all dressed in ‘Hunt 300’ T-shirts and watched videos of him battling away at the Broncos when he was just a pipsqueak making his debut in 2009.

Given the Dragons’ five-game losing streak and the expectation that coach Anthony Griffin has just one round left as coach, the atmosphere in the room was surprisingly high.

The drama surrounding the club at the moment was temporarily suspended out of respect for Hunt, who deserves his moment to celebrate after 15 seasons of first grade that have battered his mind and body.

For the amount of criticism he’s dealt with in the past from outside sources, you’d be hard pressed to find anyone in the game who doesn’t like him.

He never ignores a fan, he’s kind and doesn’t show signs of arrogance or entitlement. He never turns down an interview request either, even when it’s perfectly acceptable that he might.

He hasn’t been hardened by the nonsense. He’s not bitter.

Hunt has never won a premiership and unless things drastically turn around for the Dragons this season, at 33, it’s unlikely he ever will. That’s been enough for critics and keyboard warriors to come down hard on him.

All because he had the misfortune of making a crucial mistake in Brisbane’s grand final loss to North Queensland in 2015. And again, when he had the audacity to accept a multimillion-dollar contract from the Dragons, who have failed to do much since their 2010 premiership.

Back in 2018, after a deluge of difficult press and constant criticism, Hunt sought support for his mental health because it all got a bit too much.

He was honest about that, too, even when he didn’t owe the public any explanation.

Across his career, Hunt has been a whipping boy for a myriad of reasons, most of which are unfair, yet what is truly amazing is the class with which he’s handled it all.

It’s a tough thing that people like Hunt do, to remain open and honest when they’re in the arena for everyone to judge. It’s why a lot of players these days appear closed off.

The vulnerability gets beaten out of them with every bad game and the resulting deluge of online abuse. It’s only natural that many athletes close themselves off.

More Coverage

NRL Power Rankings: Eels half sparkles in defeat

Lachlan McKirdy

Hunt doesn’t do that. He owns up to his mistakes, faces them head on, keeps going and tries again. It takes guts to continue when a vocal minority makes you feel like the whole world wants you to stop.

But that is Hunt’s super power. And after 299 games, it’s worth celebrating.

The rest of the nonsense can wait a week.