BEN Hunt’s Broncos mentor Kevin Walters vowed to help the shattered halfback overcome the psychological scars of the worst night of his NRL career.
Walters’ show of support came as Hunt’s nemesis, Cowboys champion Johnathan Thurston, backed the Broncos halfback to fight back from his grand-final nightmare.
Hunt was the heartbreak story of Brisbane’s 17-16 loss to the Cowboys, producing two costly plays in three minutes as his magnificent season sensationally unravelled.
The Broncos No.7 was penalised for spear-tackling Kane Linnett, just moments before Michael Morgan set up Kyle Feldt’s match-levelling try on full-time.
To compound his horror display, Hunt then grassed the extra-time kick-off that enabled Thurston to drive home the premiership-winning field goal.
The series of clangers left Hunt fighting back tears, but Walters, who has worked closely with the 25-year-old this season, pledged to help his protege pick up the pieces.
“This won’t break him,” said Walters, the former Broncos skipper who is now the club’s assistant coach.
“Ben will be fine, I can tell you now. I know Ben’s personality and we wouldn’t have been in a grand final if it wasn’t for his outstanding work this year.
“Psychologically, he will handle this. He is a good bloke, a tough character and all of us, including myself, will make sure he gets back in the saddle next year and is up for another journey where we can hopefully go one step better.
“I’m proud of Ben and all the guys — he’ll bounce back from this.”
Hunt showed moments of promise in the decider, creating two line-break assists and making a second-half line break.
But amid Thurston’s heroics and the Cowboys’ euphoria, Hunt was left to digest his four handling errors, three missed tackles and the two penalties he conceded.
Broncos coach Wayne Bennett was the first to console Hunt and he even received a sympathy vote from the man who rubbed salt into deep wounds.
“I told him (Hunt) to hold his head up high,” Thurston said.
“He’s had an outstanding couple of years. He will be a great player for years to come, he spent a week with us in Queensland camp and I know what he’s made of.
“He will come back better. I just hope he doesn’t feel the weight on his shoulders.”
Broncos winger Jordan Kahu believes Hunt’s grand final to forget will only amplify the playmaker’s desire to clinch a maiden premiership ring next season.
“Ben and ‘Milf’ (five-eighth Anthony Milford) have carried us to the finals,” he said.
“Without those two guys in our team we wouldn’t be in the grand final so we can thank them for what they have done.
“Ben didn’t lose the game for us. We can’t put it on Ben’s back, he’s had a massive year and he will get better next year.”
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