OFFICIAL Ben Hunt returns home to Broncos on two-year deal

[Mustafur]

I wouldn't be against salaries being made public tbh, it would give the RL journos less shit to talk when there is already answers.

 

[Sproj]

Ben Hunt Interview

Yeah this is the one I mentioned in the other thread - from his own mouth - he is coming to play 9.

 

[Mustafur]

Yeah this is the one I mentioned in the other thread - from his own mouth - he is coming to play 9.

I'm unsure, because he is signed after the Mam incident plus next year Reyno is gone, unless Reyno retiring is not 100% he will be between half and 9 for this year then moved to 7 after.

I think regardless he will be here after Reyno even if Reyno somehow gets another year it will just be a confirmed season of 9 and first choice half cover then, Hunt has barely had any injuries in his career and should be good to go for longer than his contract soo long as his ability doesn't fall off a cliff.

 

[Foordy]

Yeah this is the one I mentioned in the other thread - from his own mouth - he is coming to play 9.

He's not stupid.

he would have realised that Mam is our long term 6, and given we didn't sack him he'd eventually get that position back.

and while we also have our long term 9 in our squad ... he isn't ready to play more than 40 mins a game at this stage, so he'd need a partner in crime. and Hunt is a better hooker than Billy, Smoothy and Paix combined. two of which we'll lose at the end of the season. maybe sooner

 

[Mustafur]

He's not stupid.

he would have realised that Mam is our long term 6, and given we didn't sack him he'd eventually get that position back.

and while we also have our long term 9 in our squad ... he isn't ready to play more than 40 mins a game at this stage, so he'd need a partner in crime. and Hunt is a better hooker than Billy, Smoothy and Paix combined. two of which we'll lose at the end of the season. maybe sooner

In an ideal full strength team with Mam back 100% he would be the starting 9, whether we get that this year we still have to wait on the decision regarding Mam.

It's still possible he isn't suitable as a left half playing 6 and moves to 9 before Mam is back too yet, but I feel with that much experience in the half pairing Reyno and Hunt will play both sides anyway, and I feel how hunt has been at Dragons in the last few years he would suit playing a back seat to Reyno in a less pressured role anyway.

 

[kman]

He's not stupid.

he would have realised that Mam is our long term 6, and given we didn't sack him he'd eventually get that position back.

and while we also have our long term 9 in our squad ... he isn't ready to play more than 40 mins a game at this stage, so he'd need a partner in crime. and Hunt is a better hooker than Billy, Smoothy and Paix combined. two of which we'll lose at the end of the season. maybe sooner

I do hope Mam comes back better once he learns from his mistakes and trains hard. He is an amazing half and Hunt would be amazing to see at dummyhalf. The combination of Walsh, Mam, Hunt and Reynolds is an amazing spine. Mozer is an amazing player too and Brisbane Broncos need to make sure they look after him too.

 

[Johnny92]

I wanna see him pull some of those trick shots. E.g. that long kick to a chasing Roberts he used to do (Mariner could probably pull that off).

We tried that a couple times this year from memory and Mariner was asleep.
I think Reynolds gave him some words one of the times

 

[BroncsFan]

Crawley for fox:

Ben Hunt’s signing for the Brisbane Broncos on a hugely reduced wage to what he was previously earning at the Dragons further highlights why the NRL should make all player salaries public, and it should include all third party agreements.

No one is suggesting there is anything dodgy about the deal Hunt has done with the Broncos, who have signed the Queensland Origin star for a steal on an estimated $600,000 per season for the next two years.

This is despite Hunt earning $1 million plus for the majority of his seven years at the Dragons; although he is now coming into his final years as a footballer, which understandably reduces his real market worth.

But regardless, you compare the Broncos’ roster to some of the battlers across the NRL and it certainly highlights a clear advantage some clubs have over their rivals.

Even allowing for Ezra Mam’s expected absence as he awaits a court hearing to determine his immediate playing future, Mam’s wage will still go on the cap.

Just look at the salary cap struggle a club like the Newcastle Knights are going through now and it puts things in further perspective, especially when you factor in third party deals that a big club like the Broncos have at their disposal.

So the addition of Hunt to play in the halves alongside Adam Reynolds in a side that also includes the likes of Reece Walsh, Payne Haas, Pat Carrigan, Kotoni Staggs and Selwyn Cobbo (who would all fetch the best part of $1 million per season on the open market) has almost given them what many fans at other clubs would deem an unfair advantage under the circumstances.

I have campaigned for years that the NRL should make all player salaries public to end the confusion and distrust amongst fans.

People will always argue that players are entitled to their privacy.

It hasn’t stopped elite sports around the world making salaries public, especially when a competition works in conjunction with a salary cap.

Hiding the registered salaries certainly doesn’t stop the speculation given the media always put a figure on every deal that is done regardless.

As I’ve said previously, if there is nothing to hide, why hide it?

Now to what Hunt’s decision will mean to the Broncos on the field. Will it instantly return them to a premiership force?

I’ll say this: if Hunt felt burdened by the constant pressure on him at the Dragons, he’s now walking straight into the bonfire at the Broncos.

Make no mistake, there won’t be a new recruit across the entire NRL who will carry more expectation on his shoulders than the veteran playmaker in 2025.

Some would argue Jarome Luai has a bigger job ahead of him at Wests Tigers.

The difference there is that any improvement will be seen as a victory for Luai given the fact the Tigers are coming off three straight wooden spoons.

In comparison, Hunt has made it clear that he joined the Broncos because he believes they have a roster capable of challenging for a premiership immediately.

So the expectation will be and should be that nothing less than a top-four finish is acceptable given the class of the Broncos’ stacked roster.

Hunt has said himself that is a big part of the reason why he chose to return to Brisbane ahead of joining the Roosters and the Bulldogs, while he turned his back on the Dolphins despite the fact they offered him the biggest salary package of the lot.

The fact the Broncos didn’t play finals footy this year won’t matter one iota.

In fact, the sacking of Broncos legend Kevin Walters only intensifies the scrutiny on the entire playing group, and that won’t excuse the club’s new star recruit.

For all Hunt has achieved at State of Origin level for Queensland, he had just one finals appearance in his seven seasons at the Dragons.

And no Broncos fans will ever forget how the 2015 NRL grand final played out when Hunt dropped the ball from a kick-off in golden point extra time, allowing Johnathan Thurston to close out the Cowboy’s historic victory.

Yet it’s how the next two years play out that will determine Hunt’s lasting legacy as a club footballer.

Why Ben Hunt salary must spark NRL change; Big-name trio on Wayne Bennett’s radar — Crawls

Why Hunt salary must spark change; Big-name trio on Bennett’s radar — Crawls

www.foxsports.com.au

@Sproj where was this article after Paps re-signed

 

[BroncsFan]

That's a lot of words for Crawley to come out and say that the only team that should have been allowed to sign Hunt was the Phins.

because the Roosters reportedly offered less than us ... and the Bulldogs chose not to even make an offer

Just Sydney media stroking it to get the Sydney faithful into a fever... also decided to drag dolphins into it so they can feel part of the crowd... dolphins don't even rate a mention unless the article can be linked to Broncos.

Poor old titans get completely ignored... they may as well move to NSW at this point because I think Sydney has forgotten they're also located in SEQld

 

[BroncosFever]

I do hope Mam comes back better once he learns from his mistakes and trains hard. He is an amazing half and Hunt would be amazing to see at dummyhalf. The combination of Walsh, Mam, Hunt and Reynolds is an amazing spine. Mozer is an amazing player too and Brisbane Broncos need to make sure they look after him too.

Mozer and Hunt can duke it out for that pivotal #14 role after Billy Walters sets the tone.

 

[tommy]

Mozer and Hunt can duke it out for that pivotal #14 role after Billy Walters sets the tone.

OK kevvie, we'll take it on board.

 

[BroncsFan]

Yeah on one hand they say he is a great pickup and has to be playing first grade then they mention who his dad is good with on where he can go, like which one is it?

I do think he will have to leave if Mam isn't a full season out, if he is then he should be fine to stay, the big problem is the Piax contract burning a hole in our cap.

The Top 30 roster is pretty much full so Paix contract doesn't really mean anything... it's a sunk cost and we've already got Hunt on the books.

The contracts that mean anything are the ones that are signed to 2026, but don't really have a role in the team anymore... heading that list is Madden. I know I keep talking about him and it's not some vendetta or anything against him, it's just he is the logical one to move on whilst also easing our salary cap.

The only players we have signed beyond 2025 are below... of them we either don't want to get rid of them (Walsh, Ezra, Patty, Payne and Hunt), they're regulars in the starting 17 (Willison, Mariner, Arthars, Piaks and Riki), they're young and on cheap contracts (Coby, BTK, etc.) or they're on a cheap contract and will just be depth (Billy and Rogers).

Madden is basically the only one that would be on ok money and isn't all that needed now that Benny has been signed.

Reece Walsh
Patrick Carrigan
Ben Hunt
Payne Haas
Ezra Mam
Jesse Arthars
Deine Mariner
Brendan Piakura
Jordan Riki
Xavier Willison
Jock Madden
Josh Rogers
Billy Walters
Ben Te Kura
Coby Black
Va'a Semu