From broken back to James Tedesco’s replacement — meet new Wests Tigers fullback Justin Hunt
HE has filled in for the likes of Greg Inglis, Jarryd Hayne and Josh Dugan. Now journeyman Justin Hunt will step in for the injured James Tedesco.
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HE has filled in for the likes of Greg Inglis, Jarryd Hayne and Josh Dugan. Now journeyman Justin Hunt — who missed the start of the season with a broken back — has been entrusted with James Tedesco’s No. 1 jersey with the Tigers star fullback sidelined for up to six weeks with a shoulder injury.
At 27, Hunt will run out for just his 22nd game when he plays Canterbury at ANZ Stadium on Sunday. The Tigers are his fourth club in as many years after stints at South Sydney, Parramatta and St George Illawarra.
He replaced a sidelined Dugan for St George Illawarra last year while his only game for Parramatta came when Hayne was unavailable in 2014, having spent time at fullback for Inglis at South Sydney.
“It’s weird following a good fullback,” Hunt said. “It’s good and bad. It’s bad being behind those kind of players who are all Origin or Australian sort of players.
“On the other hand, it’s good to learn and I learnt so much from them. They are all different kinds of players and I’ve taken a bit from everyone.
“I don’t put pressure on myself (to play like them). I’ve never really thought like that, even when I was at Souths and a bit younger. Obviously they are elite players. I’ve just got to go out there and do what I do.”
Injury has robbed Tedesco from joining the likes of Inglis, Dugan and Hayne as an Origin player. Hunt’s Tigers career was stifled with injury of his own. He broke his back for the second time in the Tigers final pre-season game against Cronulla, and has only played two NSW Cup games since returning from injury.
Hunt was also part of the NSW Residents team who beat their Queensland counterparts last Sunday.
“It was a knee to my lower back,” Hunt said. “It was a direct contact (injury). I played for about 15 minutes until halftime. Once I cooled down it was pretty hard to move. I’ve done something similar before.
“It was really tough. It was really bad timing. I had a good pre-season and being at a new club I didn’t want it to happen.”
On another one-year contract, Hunt knows impressing in Tedesco’s absence would go a long way to securing his long term future at the club.
“I’m getting used to the introductions,” Hunt said. “It’s hard obviously changing clubs and meeting new people. I want to try and find a home and stay somewhere as long as I can. In this type of industry you have to do what’s best for you. If nothing is at that club then you have to try somewhere else.
“But I’m living the dream so it doesn’t matter.”
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Originally published as From broken back to James Tedesco’s replacement — meet new Wests Tigers fullback Justin Hunt
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