‘Not in the picture': Broncos, Maroons dealt crushing blow
Broncos star Ben Hunt has reportedly been ruled out of Game I of the State of Origin series after suffering a hamstring injury in Brisbane's loss to Souths.
Hunt pulled up quickly while chasing a kick, sustaining a non-contact injury and confirmed to Code Sports he won't be fit to take the field at Suncorp Stadium.
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Early reports suggested a hamstring injury for the playmaker in another hammer blow for Maroons coach Billy Slater who is already without Reece Walsh (knee) for the series opener.
'It definitely hurts,' Hunt said.
'Whether Billy (Slater) was going to have me there again or not, it was unsure, but it is definitely disappointing to know you're not in the picture.
'It's in my hamstring, in the belly of it. I have never done my hammy before, but as soon as I took off it grabbed real tight.
'I knew it wasn't a cramp, it felt a bit more than that so I knew something was wrong straight away.'
Hunt's omission from calculations could open the door for Tom Dearden to be picked as Queensland's utility, having played all three games in 2024.
'He's pulled up. I don't want to say Achilles but there was nothing else,' Greg Alexander said in commentary when Hunt went down/
'It wasn't a knee, it wasn't a twist to the ankle, it wasn't anything else.
'That is something serious for him to leave the field immediately.'
As Fox League's Dan Ginnane noted, Hunt's injury creates plenty of Origin ramifications.
With the squad for Game I announced in 10 days, Hunt is against it to be fit enough.
Melbourne hooker Harry Grant is also under an injury cloud, although he's expected to be right for the series opener.
Hunt will go for scans this weekend.
If he has to miss time, it means Ezra Mam will likely slot into five-eighth for the struggling Broncos next week.
Mam hasn't played this season after serving a nine-game NRL suspension.
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