‘Tarnished legacy’ question lingers after costly Hunt moment
Corey Parker has again urged former teammate Ben Hunt to hang up the boots - and one costly moment could be all the proof the Broncos veteran needs.
Hunt has one of the most impressive resumes in the NRL and will finish this year with more than 370 first grade matches to go with 15 Tests for the Kangaroos and another 20 games at State of Origin level for his beloved Maroons.
Ben Hunt walks off after the round 21 loss. Getty Images
The 36-year-old’s future has been the topic of much debate this season, especially with Brisbane’s fall from premiers to missing finals.
Parker and many others within the game have questioned whether it’s the right time for Hunt to step away from the sport after years of service.
Despite the calls for him to retire, Hunt has signed a one-year extension and will remain at Red Hill - even if there’s a chance he won’t be in Brisbane’s best team, especially with the impending arrival of Jonah Pezet and the recent call from the club to extend playmaker Tom Duffy until the end of 2028.
Speaking on SEN’s Coz and Heals on Monday morning, the former Broncos lock admitted that “Father Time” had caught up with Hunt this year and questioned whether he was tarnishing his legacy by going around again.
“He’s been offered a contract from the Broncos, which he has taken up. Do I blame the Broncos for this one? I probably do,” Parker said.
“If there’s an offer on the table at the end of his career and he still feels like he wants to go on, he’s probably gonna take that. But if there was no offer, do you think Ben would go and play somewhere else? I don’t think so.
“My concern is this: he’s a great friend of mine and he’s been a wonderful teammate … I am just concerned and worried about the legacy he leaves.
“I hate to see the last six weeks of the competition and into next year, things don’t go to plan and he leaves the game with a sour taste in people’s mouths. People have really short memories, they don’t remember what you did for the first 16 years - sometimes they just remember the last 12 months and it’s not fair.
“He still has an opportunity, if he would like to, to walk away and retire this year.
“Father Time has stopped for nobody and I’ve seen some evidence over the last couple of months that hasn’t weighed nicely in Ben’s favour in that regard.
“I called the game the other night and there were some moments in that game and a real pivotal one where I think the old Ben Hunt absolutely ices it.
“I would hate to see his legacy as a player and person tarnished because of that slippery slope Father Time can provide. They won the comp last year, he reached the summit that had been evading him for so long … it’s a wonderful career, I just don’t wanna see him go on any longer if that slope is continuing.”
It’s not the first time Parker has questioned whether Hunt should continue and it’s getting harder to argue with his stance as the season drags on.
Corey Parker and Ben Hunt celebrate a Broncos try in 2015. Getty
Hunt has mostly been playing a bench utility role and filling in at halfback when Adam Reynolds has been out injured, but has been largely ineffective, registering just two try assists in 14 matches and averaging 23 run metres per game.
It’s seen Hunt block the path for young guns like Duffy and Blake Mozer at times, while also failing to produce the clutch moments we’ve come to expect.
The most glaring example of Hunt’s inability to ice big moments came late in the first half of Brisbane’s season-ending loss to the Cowboys.
After superstar fullback Reece Walsh made a break and passed it to Ezra Mam, who was dragged down just metres from the line, Hunt stepped in at dummy-half with a massive overlap to his left and the Cowboys’ defensive line in tatters.
Hunt attempted an audacious cut-out pass that travelled forwards and straight into the hands of a North Queensland player.
At the time, the Broncos trailed by two points and a try likely would have given them a half-time lead in a match they needed to win.
By the half-time siren, the Cowboys had kicked clear to lead 14-4 and managed to hold on in the second half to claim a tough 18-10 victory.
Ben Hunt reacts after throwing an intercept pass. Fox League
Hunt shouldn’t solely take the blame. He spent just 52 minutes on the field and some of his teammates underperformed as well.
But when you have an experienced campaigner who has done it all wearing the No.14 jumper designed to add spark and impact from the bench, and all he can offer was two runs for 10 metres and a costly error, it’s a tough pill to swallow for Broncos fans. Those same fans have every right to be concerned about what next season looks like, with Payne Haas leaving to join Souths and Reynolds retiring.
Hunt’s career will be remembered for his durability, toughness and craftiness, moulding a high footy IQ with a never-say-die attitude.
But if he doesn’t make the smart call at the end of this year, it could mark a sad end to a stellar 16-year tenure in the top grade.
