Dual premiership winner Ben Hannant forced into retirement with a knee injury

DUAL premiership winner and former Test and Origin prop Ben Hannant has stunned the Cowboys by announcing his retirement from the NRL.

Hannant won premierships with Brisbane in 2006 and North Queensland in 2015.

BEN Hannant has stunned the Cowboys by announcing his retirement just 16 days after signing a new deal with the club.

The former Test and Origin prop has played his final NRL game due to a chronic knee injury that he has battled in recent seasons.

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Despite the injury, Hannant was eager to play on in 2017 and underlined his commitment by signing a 12-month extension last month.

But Cowboys doctors have raised concerns over Hannant’s knee, prompting the 31-year-old to draw the curtain on his career effectively immediately.

Hannant won his second premiership with the Cowboys in 2015.

Hannant enjoyed a stellar career, playing 245 NRL games, six Tests and 12 Origin matches for Queensland since his debut for the Roosters in 2005.

The snowy-haired bookend also won two premierships with Brisbane in 2006 and the Cowboys nine years later.

The departure of Hannant will give the Cowboys an estimated $150,000 to spend under their salary cap in the search for a new prop on their interchange rotation.

The retirement of Hannant comes as a surprise, with the club singing his praises just weeks ago after broking his latest deal.

Hannant made his NRL debut for the Roosters in 2005.

“Ben’s contribution to this team over the past two seasons can never be undervalued,” Cowboys football manager Peter Parr said last month.

“In his time here, he has shown himself to be a consistent performer, he’s professional, and his experience from more than a decade playing professional rugby league at the highest level is something he has willingly passed on to our emerging forwards.”