Mudgeeraba will sound out Ben Hannant about joining them in next season’s RLGC A grade
MUDGEERABA will sound out Ben Hannant about a return to the club as the former Test prop weighs up a comeback in next year’s Rugby League Gold Coast A grade competition.
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MUDGEERABA will sound out Ben Hannant about a return to the club as the former Test prop weighs up a comeback in next year’s Rugby League Gold Coast A grade competition.
As revealed by the Bulletin on Thursday, Hannant is considering an on-field return in RLGC’s top flight in 2020 and Mudgeeraba officials believe he would be valuable addition to their inaugural A grade outfit.
A veteran of six Tests, 12 Origins for Queensland and 245 NRL games, Hannant spent time with the Redbacks as a junior before switching to Burleigh.
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The 34-year-old, who won premierships with Brisbane and North Queensland, has not played competitively since making four Intrust Super Cup appearances for the Bears last year but Mudgeeraba coach Wayne Forbes said he would be welcomed back to Firth Park with open arms.
“With someone like Ben and his experience, it would be priceless to have him at our club,” Forbes, who has steered Mudgeeraba to back-to-back reserve grade premierships, said.
“It would be a pretty big achievement for us to snag someone like Ben. He was a Mudgee junior and then he went across to Burleigh, and two of his (sons) played here last year.
“We’re certainly trying to find his number … to see where he’s at. We’d love to have him pull on a Redbacks jersey next year.”
A father of seven with an eighth on the way, Hannant this week told the Bulletin:
“I’d like to still keep playing and maybe play in the local footy comp next year but the good thing is I don’t have to. I still love the game so if I have time to do it and it fits in the family schedule then I’d do it.
“I keep track of the Q Cup (ISC) but also I’ve got a few mates that play for Currumbin and a few mates that play for a few of the other different teams in local A grade.”
The Redbacks’ plans for 2020 have stagnated as they wait for RLGC to unveil the transfer system for next season’s competition, but Forbes said the early signs were promising.
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“We have had plenty of interest from potential players, which is great. We just don’t know how many transfer points we will have so we need to know where we stand there,” he said.
“It’s going to change our mindset next year going from an amateur club to semi-professional.”