Ben Hunt

Hunt likened the hype and on-field chemistry between young Dragons Tyrell Sloan, Junior Amone, Jayden Sullivan, Max and Mat Feagai and Zac Lomax to the Generation Next Broncos he was a part of - and who eventually went on to feature in the 2015 Grand Final.

A proud Queenslander, Hunt is keen to return to the Sunshine State, and would be an ideal target for NRL newcomers Redcliffe. Hunt also happens to be good friends with Wayne Bennett who coached him at the Broncos, as well as Queensland’s shock Origin series win in 2020.

The Australian playmaker had a promising outing in St George Illawarra’s 24-18 win over English Super League side Hull FC in a pre-season friendly at ANZ Stadium on Saturday.

In his 70 minutes on the field, Hunt kicked well and went within centimetres of setting up tries for Tim Lafai and Jeremy Latimore with his boot.

The Brisbane utility will link with Paul McGregor's men in 2018 after signing with the Red V in January but for now he has unfinished business with the Broncos – starting with Friday's clash against the desperate Dragons. 

It is a strange scenario for Hunt, with a loss for the ninth-placed St George-Illawarra set to all but end their top-eight hopes. 

But the 27-year-old is firmly focused on securing a Broncos victory that would almost guarantee Brisbane a top-four finish. 

Hunt, who was meant to start the game at hooker, was switched to the bench an hour before kick-off, with Bennett wanting to field the strongest defensive line-up possible during the first 20 minutes of the match.

It meant Sam Thaiday played majority of the first quarter of the clash in the hooking position, shoring up Brisbane's defence as the Titans put together set after set on the Broncos' line.

Hunt suffered the injury in the 49th minute, limping off the field after crashing over for a controversially disallowed try. 

If the pain of having a four-pointer denied wasn't enough, Hunt soon realised something wasn't right with his body. 

Hunt's heroics were not enough, with the Broncos falling 21-20 to the Cowboys in another exhilarating golden point contest at Suncorp Stadium. 

Despite the loss, there are positive signs for Brisbane and their fans, with Hunt putting in an inspiring 80-minute performance. 

After receiving a lot of criticism during the week about his poor kicking performance in Round 1, Hunt bounced back in a big way and sent a message to his critics. 

Hunt will leave Red Hill at the end of the 2017 NRL season after signing a five-year deal with the St. George Illawarra Dragons. 

Some have questioned the motives surrounding the halfback's move, but Parker moved quickly to support his ex-teammate.

Hunt and his partner, Bridget Hagan – niece of Kangaroos assistant coach Michael Hagan – welcomed their son Brady into the world in October with the Broncos' No.7 smitten by the new addition.

Other than a trip home to visit his family in Rockhampton Hunt barely left the house over the off-season as he soaked up precious time with his baby boy and admitted on Monday that his next contract will centre round his family.