Brisbane’s NRLW team left shattered by devastating double blow to beloved teammates
Brisbane’s NRLW team has been shattered with popular players Toni Hunt and Lavinia Gould enduring the toughest heartbreaks of their lives. How the NRL and Broncos are rallying around the two warriors.
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Brisbane’s NRLW team has been shattered in recent weeks with popular players Toni Hunt and Lavinia Gould enduring the toughest heartbreaks of their lives.
Hunt was first diagnosed with stage four cancer in March of 2022 and after getting the all clear to play NRLW this season, just a few weeks ago she received the news that it has returned.
The 35-year-old mother of three will start chemotherapy on Thursday for Metastatic cholangiocarcinoma after spots appeared in a routine scan just a few weeks ago.
She had only returned to play NRLW for the Broncos this season after undergoing 12 rounds of chemotherapy, radiation and the removal of her gallbladder, half of her liver and two lymph nodes.
The news has devastated the Broncos playing group who were informed by Broncos’ NRLW manager Paul Dyer in a team meeting on Monday night.
“A lot of us know what she’s been through,” says Broncos captain Ali Brigginshaw.
“Last time she was really positive, but this time I know it’s serious. Seeing her really upset, there were quite a few of us crying in the room, it hit pretty hard.”
The shock of Hunt’s diagnosis has been a gut punch for the Broncos, who are already reeling along with long time teammate Gould, who may not play again this season as she cares for her gravely sick daughter, Kaia.
The 19-year-old is in an induced coma in after undergoing emergency open heart surgery last Monday to save her life following complications with blood clots in her lungs and heart.
Kaia was diagnosed with a type of kidney disease called Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) as a child, and was given a transplant in 2014 as well as regular dialysis and intensive hospital care.
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However, the latest complication occurred after she presented for a routine line removal and clots were found in her lungs and chest, which were unable to be removed.
They made their way to her heart, which almost killed her.
Through it all, Gould has been relying on support from her teammates, but after six seasons at the Broncos, her last game may have been a 40-8 win over Canberra in Brisbane a fortnight ago.
She sent a text message to the team recently saying she may have played her last game as a Bronco.
“We had a team dinner (on Monday night) you could see the switch in focus in the girls, it went from trying to win a premiership to ‘let’s f*cking win this for Toni and Vinny.
“Every game is for them.”
The NRL and the Broncos are moving quickly to help support the women and their families.
On Thursday NRL CEO Andrew Abdo launched into action, promising to donate $10,000 to each player as the start of a range of initiatives to raise funds.
As well as ongoing wellbeing support, the Broncos will also match this amount, while club sponsor Lite n Easy are looking to donate 12 months worth of meals for the families.
Abdo will also reach out to both women to help determine the level of support they will need and how best to assist them.
A GoFundMe was set up this week by Lavinia’s sister Kristal, which has raised $10,560 and counting for Kaia’s ongoing medical expenses.
However, Hunt has been more hesitant to ask for help until now.
Heartbreakingly, she feels as though she has failed at beating the cancer, and was reluctant to speak as she steels herself for what she’s facing over the next couple of months.
But with the encouragement of the Broncos she’s come to accept she will need help to maintain her quality of life for herself and her family for the foreseeable future.
Hunt’s partner Tahu works 12 hour days, and she takes care of their three children Corden, 15, Kaiya, 13 and Jai, 8, who is also the Broncos ball boy for the NRLW side.
Ideally, Tahu would be able to take time off work to help support the family through her latest treatment, which she expects will be no more than eight rounds of chemotherapy.
She had the option of continuing to play with the Broncos and have treatment after the season was over, but she opted to start chemotherapy straight away with hopes she will be well again for Christmas.
Her ultimate aim is to play again next year, but it will be another long fight for Hunt and her family.
“To see her fight to get back and then to be on the field when she scored a try against the Cowboys, it was just incredible. To know she’s about to do it all over again is just horrific,” Brigginshaw says.
“People were so overwhelmingly supportive when it first happened, I think people will ultimately want to jump in and help again this time around.”
A GoFundMe is in the process of being set up for Hunt and her family.
“These are two Broncos who need help,” Brigginshaw continues.
“They’re an inspiration. We whinge about little things but holy shit, they’re going through all of this and continue to go through it without wanting any help.
“If we can help spread the word about what the two of them are going through we can hopefully help both families on a bigger scale.
“Both girls have the best attitudes. They never give up.”
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