Ben Hunt open to contract extension with Broncos which could take him to 400-game milestone
It seemed unlikely that anyone else could join Cameron Smith in the 400-game club, but as Ben Hunt prepares to bring up the 350 milestone, he reveals his body is far from broken and is open to a contract extension.
Brisbane’s late-season saviour Ben Hunt says leading the Broncos to a premiership could convince him to extend his career and play on in 2027 as he closes in on the magical 400-game milestone.
Hunt and his good mate Daly Cherry-Evans will become just the fifth and sixth players to join the NRL’s most elite club when they play their 350th first-grade games this weekend.
Just four players had reached the 350-game milestone – Melbourne ironman Cameron Smith (430), former Storm teammate Cooper Cronk (372), Broncos legend Darren Lockyer (355) and Bulldogs icon Terry Lamb (350).
But Hunt will enter rarefied territory when he chalks up his 350th game in Sunday’s clash against the Knights at McDonald Jones Stadium.
The injury crisis which sensationally wiped out Brisbane’s first-choice halves Adam Reynolds and Ezra Mam is one disastrous play against Melbourne a fortnight ago has thrust Hunt into the No.7 hot seat to stabilise the Broncos’ finals charge.
Victory over the Knights will seal Brisbane’s comeback to the finals after last season’s 12th-placed freefall and vindicate the Broncos’ decision to bring the ageing Hunt, 35, home for a Red Hill swan song.
But Hunt insists he is far from finished, saying there is no guarantee he retires next season, as originally expected, as he considers soldiering on beyond his 37th birthday in 2027.
FOREVER YOUNG
Hunt signed a two-year deal in pre-season to return to the Broncos and if he stays injury-free, ‘Dozer’ will be on the verge of 380 NRL games.
It seemed almost impossible that anyone else could join Smith in the 400-game club, but Hunt says his body is far from broken and is open to a 12-month extension if the Broncos want him in 2027.
Asked if he will be retiring next year, Hunt said: “No, I’m not going to say I’m definitely retiring at all.
“I’ll get to this point next year and see where I’m at, but I’m still really enjoying myself and loving the game as much as I ever have.
“I’m healthy and right now, I still feel like I’m playing decent enough footy.
“As long as I feel like I can keep contributing for Brisbane and I’m not going to let my teammates down, then I could play on for sure.
“Today I feel great and say yes (to playing on), but ask me after the game on Monday morning and I might say no.
“It is getting harder sometimes to get out of bed after games, but there are too many parts of the game that I love and enjoy.
“You talk to a lot of guys that have retired and most of them say that they wished they could have stayed another year and kept going.
“You never really want to step away from it.”
THE SAVIOUR
Brisbane’s premiership prospects appeared in tatters when Reynolds, Ezra and Selwyn Cobbo tore their hamstrings against the Storm but Hunt’s Dolphins masterclass last week has eased title tensions.
Truth be told, Hunt really sees himself as a No.7. Many, including coach Michael Maguire, view him as a better hooker. But Hunt relishes the heat at halfback, even if his detractors question whether he can truly get the job done after failing to steer Brisbane to glory in their gut-wrenching 2015 grand-final loss to the Cowboys.
A decade on, Hunt is adamant he can and it’s his driving force this season. He surgically picked apart the Dolphins with three try assists and says if Reynolds or Mam fail to return this season, he’s ready to spearhead Brisbane’s 2025 mission.
“I definitely feel like I can get the job done,” said Hunt, who will move to five-eighth if Reynolds returns for the finals.
“’Reyno’ should be back, but I’ve played seven most of my career and that’s where I feel most at home.
“I love playing in the No.7. This isn’t really how I wanted to do it, with injuries, but it’s worked out well to step in there and do the job.
“I felt like last week was good, but we can still go to another level and it’s important I back it up this week against the Knights.”
THE MILESTONE
Hunt’s longevity is remarkable. Since his debut in 2009, he has played 17 consecutive seasons in one of the most brutal sports in the world without suffering a major injury. He has played 20 or more games in a season on 12 occasions.
Throw in 20 Origin matches and 15 Tests, and Hunt has amassed 385 senior matches at the elite level. He says his wife Bridget, a dietitian and nutritionist, has helped extend his NRL career.
“I’m pretty proud of my durability and it feels extra special reaching this (350 games) in a Broncos jersey,” Hunt said.
“There is a fair bit of luck with staying healthy. I feel like I’ve played with a lot of guys who were a lot more talented than me but they were struck down by injuries.
“In the early days, I wasn’t the best with my diet until I found my wife. She straightened me out a bit. I owe a lot of credit to her keeping me on the field, she sorted my diet out and made me more professional.
“It’s a pretty prestigious list (the 350-game club). I have to pinch myself to understand I am alongside guys like Cam and Locky.”
THE COACH
Alarm bells rang when Brisbane were linked to Hunt. Why would the Broncos sign a 35-year-old when they already had a 35-year-old in Reynolds, not to mention Hunt steering the Dragons to one finals campaign in seven years on a $6 million deal.
But Broncos coach Michael Maguire says the beauty of Hunt goes beyond durability and football ability. It’s his homespun Queensland bush values that drive team culture.
“I wanted him because I just know what a good person he is,” Maguire said.
“Ben never puts himself out there. He doesn’t like the limelight being on him. He’s always about the team and I like the humility he has carried throughout his career.
“I put Benny in the leadership group because he was the type of senior player who could drive the changes I wanted to make the culture that we’re chasing here at the Broncos.
“I’d heard some great things from the Australian team and what he did in that team in the last tour they had with Mal (Meninga, former Kangaroos coach).
“That added to the hunger of me wanting to get ‘Hunty’ back to the club.
“It’s pretty remarkable what he has achieved and there’s more to come from him.”
THE FINAL FRONTIER
Hunt has won a World Cup for Australia, State of Origin series and two Ron McAuliffe Medals as Queensland’s best and fairest, but there’s one itch left to scratch – bringing the NRL trophy back to Brisbane.
“That will definitely seal it all,” he said.
“You play this game to win a premiership. No matter what club you are at, you want to win a premiership.
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“I have achieved a lot in my career but that’s really the one thing I really want.
“If I can get that premiership in the next couple of years, it will be happy days.
“I definitely think we have the troops and the talent to do it this season and I’ll be doing everything I can to make sure it happens.”
Originally published as Ben Hunt open to contract extension with Broncos which could take him to 400-game milestone
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