Ben Hunt says he’s not feeling any extra pressures despite loss to North Queensland

BEN Hunt says he’s not feeling any extra pressures as he prepares for a scrumbase showdown with Melbourne kingpin Cooper Cronk.

Ben Hunt at Broncos training. Pic Annette Dew

BRONCOS halfback Ben Hunt insists he is not feeling the pressure of his $6 million contract as he braces for a scrumbase shootout with Melbourne rival Cooper Cronk.

Parramatta halfback great Peter Sterling has turned up the heat on Hunt before the AAMI Park clash by questioning his ability to close out big games for the Broncos.

Former Test playmaker Sterling was stunned by Hunt’s reluctance to snap a matchwinning field goal against the Cowboys last week, instead looking to Broncos halves partner Anthony Milford.

In general play, the Broncos half produced an impressive performance, amassing 394 kick metres and setting up two tries with precision grubbers.

Critics believe Hunt is worth nowhere near the $1.2 million he will pocket annually at the Dragons from next season, but the 26-year-old insists the mega deal is not a crushing burden.

Hunt has been criticised since signing a deal with the Dragons for 2018.

“I’m more worried about what my teammates think and what the coach wants me to do,’’ Hunt said. “I’m not feeling the pressure or reading too much into it.

“I just have to come out and play good footy and if I do that, it stops the media having a crack.

“I just have to play the way I did (against the Cowboys).’’

Sterling, who kicked 15 field goals in 14 years at the Eels, is concerned by the statistic that Hunt has not landed a one-pointer in his 168-game career.

“It was probably Ben Hunt’s best performance (against the Cowboys) but there’s a little question mark saying no I don’t want to do that (close-out games),” the Eels great said on his Fox Sports show.

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“Every club has at least two players who can kick field goals. Johnathan Thurston is the main man at the Cowboys but Michael Morgan and Lachlan Coote can do the same.

“The coach (Brisbane’s Wayne Bennett) says Ben Hunt doesn’t have the confidence to take them and he hasn’t kicked a field goal in first grade.

“If you are a good punter, you can drop kick the field goal pretty comfortably.

“What it does is put all the heat on Anthony Milford. In a tight game, the opposition will now just attack Milford.’’

Hunt failed to close out the game against North Queensland last week.

Hunt backed his ability to match the game-managing prowess of Cronk, admitting he regularly studies footage of the Queensland and Storm halfback.

“Cooper and Thurston are the two halves I watch,” Hunt said. “The way Cooper controls the game, he’s really structured and he’s certainly someone I can learn from.

“I like playing down there, Melbourne always give you a tough grinding game and we expect nothing less this time.’’

Broncos coach Bennett said he was putting no pressure on Hunt to emulate Cronk tonight.

“I don’t want him to match Cooper Cronk, I just want him to be Ben Hunt,” he said.

“He played well last week and we need him to play well again this week.

“He’s not Cooper Cronk, he’s Ben Hunt. They bring different things.’’