‘It stinks’: Ben Hunt saga casts shadow over Broncos

Footy greats are all asking the same question about Ben Hunt after the Dragons captain is seemingly all but certain to join the Broncos.

Kevin Walters wasn't happy. Photo: Getty Images and NRL

The Ben Hunt saga has cast a large shadow over the Broncos’ 18-12 loss to the Gold Coast Titans as Brisbane firmed as the likely landing spot for the wantaway star.

While it appeared as though most teams wanted to throw their hat in the ring for the Dragons captain, who last week indicated he wanted to leave the club as soon as possible, Hunt admitted he only wanted to go to a Queensland side.

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And that saw the Broncos admit their interest.

They quickly firmed as Hunt’s likely landing spot for the remainder of the season, although for no longer due to salary cap concerns, with the Gold Coast Titans many people’s favourite for his long-term future.

Hunt will meet with the Dragons and 2024 coach Shane Flanagan on Monday, although many believe it is there he will be granted a release and immediately head back to the Broncos, the club at which he started his career.

The move was hanging over the Broncos’ clash with the Titans but Broncos coach Kevin Walters was fuming after the match.

Brisbane were denied several times — including by the Bunker — but couldn’t get over the line against one of their local rivals, losing the close match.

“I’m really disappointed,” he said. “That’s not who we are as a club.

“We haven’t earned the right as a team or as a club to put that performance on.”

Asked about the links to Hunt moving back to the Broncos on a short term deal, Walters was blunt.

“Do you think he’d want to come to this club after watching that?” Walters responded. “I wouldn’t have thought so.”

Kevin Walter was not happy. Photo: NRL

The reporter Ben Dobbin replied: “I’m pretty sure he would if he was able …”

Walters added that it was “out of our hands” as the NRL appears to be the last hurdle in something like that taking place.

He added he was focused on the future with the players he has, rather than ones he may get.

But Hunt will no doubt be one of the season’s big controversies, regardless of what happens next as former greats continued to have their say on his move.

During the play in the Broncos-Titans game, Steve Roach was asked about how he’d see the Broncos’ chances of winning the premiership if Hunt joined the club.

“I feel for the players who are already there, they’re near on the top of the competition,” Roach said. “Didn’t Ben say he didn’t want to play hooker?

“I know he’s playing for Queensland there and for the Saints every now and again, he’s playing halfback.

“I don’t get it.

“I think the league should step in and say ‘mate, you’ve signed a two year deal, stick to it’.”

Hunt signed a two-year deal in October 2022 for the 2024 and 2025 seasons but despite a clause tying him to former coach Anthony Griffin being denied, he signed it anyway.

And after the Dragons’ horror start to the season, Griffin was sacked and Hunt began angling for the door.

It’s almost certain Hunt has played his last game for the Red V. Photo by Jason McCawley/Getty Images

On Channel 9’s The Sunday Footy Show, Andrew Johns said the move left a bad taste in his mouth.

“If he wants to go, he can go — there’s no loyalty from the club to the players,” he began.

“If they want to get rid of a player, they just rissole them.

“I just find it really difficult that he’s going into a team that’s coming second on the ladder and he’s going to go into a team … I looked this morning, out of the 17 playing today, there’s 15 Origin or International players in their starting 17.

“Then you’re going to add another player who’s a champion player. I just find that it stinks.”

Johns said he believed that if a player broke their contract, the player should go into a draft rather than going to the highest bidder.

He added that the move would make the Broncos the premiership favourites.

It joins more calls for the NRL to close the “loophole” to allow a star in a bottom four team to join a top four team.

Former Dragons and Bulldogs hardman James Graham questioned if the deal would “pass the pub test”.

“This is a guy that has publicly said he doesn’t want to play no. 9 for the St George Illawarra Dragons, despite the fact that might be his best position with the squad that they’ve got,” Graham said on Triple M.

“But hold on a minute, I’ll do it for Queensland, I’ll do it for Australia and I’ll do it for the Broncos?

“For the average NRL fan, does this pass the pub test? Ben Hunt is leaving the bottom club to play for the top club on a four-month deal. Come on.

“The NRL need to close this loophole. You can’t be signing somewhere for four months and then going somewhere else.

“If this was a two-and-a-half-year deal, maybe we could look at it. They can’t allow this loophole.

“What’s stopping anybody being just a mercenary and just signing two month deals.”

Gorden Tallis added another option if a player was unhappy was to sit out the remainder of the season.

Originally published as ‘It stinks’: Ben Hunt saga casts shadow over Broncos