State of Origin teams: Ben Hunt out, Lindsay Collins still a chance

Ben Hunt revealing he is out of Origin I after injuring his hamstring in Friday night’s loss to the Rabbitohs while the door remains open for Roosters enforcer Lindsay Collins.

Queensland have suffered another blow with Broncos pivot Ben Hunt revealing he is out of Origin I after injuring his hamstring in Friday night’s loss to the Rabbitohs.

Hunt faces a month on the sidelines after hobbling off in the 67th minute of Brisbane’s dismal 22-14 loss to Souths at Sydney’s Accor Stadium.

The injury is worse than first feared with scans showing Hunt has ripped his hamstring off the bone.

The revelation is another hammer blow for Maroons coach Billy Slater, who will already be without Hunt’s Broncos teammate Reece Walsh (knee) for the Origin opener on May 28 at Suncorp Stadium.

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A veteran of 20 Origin games, Hunt has been a key part of Queensland’s success, having won two Ron McAuliffe Medals as the Maroons’ best player in 2019 and 2021.

But Hunt’s scratching for Origin I - and possibly game two - has seen Cowboys playmaker Tom Dearden rocket into the frame as Queensland’s super-sub for the Suncorp opener.

The Queensland team for Origin I will be named Monday the 19th of May and Hunt confirmed he is out of the running.

Ben Hunt of the Broncos on the bench after injuring his hamstring during the round 10 NRL match between the South Sydney Rabbitohs and Brisbane Broncos at Accor Stadium. Picture: Getty Images

“It definitely hurts,” Hunt said of his injury setback.

“Whether Billy (Slater) was going to have me there again or not, it was unsure, but it is definitely disappointing to know you’re not in the picture.

“It’s in my hamstring, in the belly of it.

“I have never done my hammy before, but as soon as I took off it grabbed real tight.

“I knew it wasn’t a cramp, it felt a bit more than that so I knew something was wrong straight away.”

Slater faces a number of selection headaches in his bid to reclaim Origin supremacy from the Blues.

Aside from the loss of Hunt and Walsh, the Maroons are sweating on the fitness of key enforcer Lindsay Collins.

Lindsay Collins has at most one NRL game to prove his fitness for Origin. Picture: Getty Images

The Roosters prop injured his knee against Souths in round three and was expected to miss six to eight weeks, but is hopeful of returning against Canterbury next Friday night.

That would give Collins one match to impress Queensland selectors, but Slater may pick him even without a game given his 12-match pedigree with the Maroons.

Should Collins be scratched, Slater will consider midfield workers such as Corey Horsburgh or Jai Arrow, who was inspirational with 125 metres in Souths’ defeat of the Broncos.

With hooker Harry Grant likely to be fit for Origin I, Hunt was in danger of being axed in favour of Dearden given his patchy form for the Broncos.

The 35-year-old Hunt has amassed 344 NRL games and rued his luck after suffering a rare injury on the eve of the 2025 Origin series.

“I am frustrated about it,” he said.

“But in other ways I have been pretty lucky, so I can’t be too cranky about it.

“I’ve had a pretty good run, but now I have to find out how bad it is, look after it, and try and get back.”

Originally published as State of Origin teams: Ben Hunt out, Lindsay Collins still a chance