Locker Room: Why NRL is yet to register Ben Hunt’s Brisbane Broncos contract

Ben Hunt’s signing had several coaches and CEOs dialling in to ask how the Broncos were remaining salary cap compliant. Now the NRL are going over the deal with a fine tooth comb, writes DAVID RICCIO.

NRL 2022 RD25 St. George Illawarra Dragons v Brisbane Broncos - Ben Hunt

The NRL salary cap auditor will benchmark Ben Hunt’s contract against other offers and consider key metrics, including his age, before registering the Broncos reported $600,000-a-season two-year deal.

The Broncos have until Tuesday to submit Hunt’s contract to the NRL.

Clubs have seven days from when they announce a new signing to submit the contract to the NRL for registration.

As of Friday lunchtime, the NRL was still waiting for Hunt’s contract to appear in their inbox, after it was announced last Tuesday that he was headed back to Red Hill.

Hunt was poised to earn $950,000 at the Dragons in 2025.

He walked away from that deal without a cent.

The mere suggestion of a professional athlete giving up on almost $1 million has triggered many within the game.

Ben Hunt’s signing with Brisbane has left many scratching their heads with questions about salary cap compliance. Picture: AAP Image/Julian Smith

This column had several coaches and CEOs dialling in to ask how the Broncos could manage to sign Hunt and remain salary cap compliant.

“The Broncos won’t need much luck next year, seriously they should win every game with that roster,” one NRL coach said.

Indeed, the roster is tighter than Santa’s sack.

Payne Haas is on $1 million next season and Pat Carrigan on around $800,000.

Reece Walsh remains on his original NRL deal of around $500,000-plus, but then hits his $1.1 million salary in 2026.

Ezra Mam - pending his court case - is on more than $4 million through until 2029.

Selwyn Cobbo is on an estimated $600,000 and Adam Reynolds will play for around $500,000 next season, after signing a new one-year deal earlier this year.

Then you add Kotoni Staggs, Jordan Riki, Billy Walters, Brendan Piakura and Cory Jensen and you can appreciate why the open line on talkback radio lit up this week.

Evidently, this column understands Staggs - not that he wants to leave - could emerge over the next fortnight as a potential casualty of Brisbane’s cap management.

The strike centre won’t struggle to find his almost $700,000 salary elsewhere and the Broncos have been unable to table an offer to the off-contract Staggs.

The Broncos are privately laughing at any suggestion they have stretched their salary cap to sign Hunt.

They point to their loss in the past 18-months of Herbie Farnworth, Thomas Flegler and Kurt Capewell.

Kotoni Staggs could be the one squeezed out of Red Hill. Picture: Adam Head

They also point to the fact that a long list of the current roster, including Walsh, Mam, Riki, Deine Mariner, Cory Paix, Jesse Arthurs and many more have emerged from the Broncos academy and that despite interest from rival clubs, they are intent on succeeding at the club that has helped make them.

Broncos management also point to the attraction of player’s being able to live in Brisbane at a cheaper cost of living than rival cities, like Sydney or Melbourne.

However, most critically, the Broncos defuse the debate by pointing to Hunt’s age.

The Test and Queensland State of Origin playmaker turns 35 in March next year.

The Broncos would never say it publicly.

But Hunt’s signing isn’t without risk, particularly given his likely halves partner to begin the season, Adam Reynolds, is 34.

Between the ears, the duo are unrivalled in experience and their ability to dissect and break down their opposition through their playmaking smarts.

They have an extraordinary 621 games of NRL experience between them.

And while Hunt may slip into hooker if Mam is permitted to play next season, Broncos fans rushing to buy grand final tickets for Christmas might want to hold off.

If Hunt and Reynolds are successful in guiding the Broncos to a premiership in 2025, they will need to become the oldest halves pairing to do so since compulsory grand finals were introduced in 1954.

Originally published as Locker Room: Why NRL is yet to register Ben Hunt’s Brisbane Broncos contract