Major boost for Broncos and Queensland after big development around veteran playmaker

Yahoo

5 hours ago

Ben Hunt could have one game to impress Queensland coach Billy Slater before the Maroons' Game 3 squad is announced, with the veteran gunning to return early from injury in a major boost for the Broncos. Hunt has been sidelined since round 10 with a hamstring injury but is reportedly in line to make his NRL comeback in Saturday's crunch home clash against the Warriors.
reports that Hunt will undergo a series of fitness tests on his troublesome hamstring and looks set to be named in coach Michael Maguire's 22-man squad on Tuesday if he comes through them unscathed. The Broncos coach confirmed to the publication that the veteran playmaker is progressing well, but insisted they would not take any risks with the 35-year-old if he is not right.
''Hunty' is doing well,' Maguire told The Courier Mail. 'We have just got to make sure the old boy is 100 per cent ready to go." The Broncos jumped to fifth on the ladder after their impressive come-from-behind win against Cronulla in round 16, and will come up against a fourth-placed Warriors side desperate to atone for their shock loss to a depleted Penrith.
If Hunt does prove his fitness, it could give Maguire his first look at what most believe to be Brisbane's first-choice spine. Fullback Reece Walsh is starting to hit form after returning from injury, while Ezra Mam has slotted back into the halves alongside Adam Reynolds after serving his nine-game ban. Hunt would be expected to complete the star-studded quartet by shifting to hooker.
It's a role the veteran has performed well at rep level for the Maroons and Kangaroos, and would give Brisbane another creative outlet in attack and much needed big-game experience. Billy Walters and Cory Paix have battled for the No.9 jersey at Brisbane this season but one of them will almost certainly drop out when Hunt returns.
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Maguire is optimistic that Hunt will be fit enough to face the Warriors on Saturday, but could hold off on his return until the following Friday when they play the ladder-leading Bulldogs. But with Slater set to name his Maroons squad for the Origin decider after this weekend's games, Hunt will be desperate to feature against the Warriors and press his claims for a Queensland recall.
Hunt has been Slater's preferred No.9 in previous Origin series, working in tandem with Harry Grant in a dual-hooker role for Queensland. In fact, the Maroons' Game 2 victory in Perth was the first time in five games that they'd won with the Storm superstar starting at hooker.
Grant was immense for the Maroons in Game 2 with a whopping 55 tackles and a try assist in Perth, where he showed that Slater might not need another hooker after playing the full 80 minutes. Kurt Mann also impressed in his 36-minute stint that included a try assist, 19 tackles and three tackle breaks from his 35 running metres.
Mann injected plenty of energy off the bench for Queensland but would seem the man most likely to make way if Hunt were to earn an Origin recall. And with the series on the line in enemy territory, Hunt's experience on the big stage could give Slater a major decision to make, if he makes a successful return for Brisbane this weekend.