“I remember playing Ben Hunt’s first debut game for Queensland and he was always a nuggety halfback that was tenacious, he liked to be in the competition of things. "That’s back to Cleary or Tedesco for the match-winning play or he catches it and runs the length in front of 52,500 people. “All-in, 79th minute, he goes to charge down, that’s rocks or diamonds," Cronk said. He has since played various roles in his 13 appearances, but his work at dummy-half will have him firmly in Mal Meninga's sights when the Kangaroos squad is announced prior to the World Cup in October.įormer Origin teammate Cooper Cronk reflected on Hunt's journey from a stocky pivot to an Origin game-winner. Hunt debuted as a bench utility for the Maroons in 2017, right towards the end of their lengthy era of dominance. "He’s a big part of the Queensland team at the moment and I’m really proud of the way he’s played.”
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“I’ve leant on him a heap of times in this series and that probably shows where he’s at with his footy. “He’s become a really good friend of mine from playing Queensland footy together," he said. QLD skipper Daly Cherry-Evans was another to pay tribute to Hunt, who has become a leader and a teacher among the Maroons squad. Hunt was leading the Dally M Medal count when voting went behind closed doors, and his performances at club and rep level since then will likely put him in the box-seat to win the highest individual prize in the sport.īut we're sure if you asked him, the moment he sealed the series for his state will top it. He’s one of the greatest competitors our game has seen.” "I feel if we didn’t give him a rest he may not have got there in the end but what a performance. He was one of those guys in the middle doing all that work and we needed to give him a rest. “He was out on his feet half way through that second half. "He really earned that starting spot, even playing a different position than he does every week for the Dragons. “He’s been the Ron McAuliffe Medallist (Queensland’s player of the series) twice in the last three series before this one," he said. Maroons coach Billy Slater had nothing but praise for the champion utility during his post-match press conference. Hunt also played the entire 80 minutes, shifting between hooker and lock, but etched his name into Origin folklore with his clutch play in the dying stages. Hunt has become a beloved figure in the game, after years of being maligned, and if any Maroons player was deserving of that moment, it was him. You don't have to be a Queensland fan to appreciate that moment. The emotion on his face as he booted the ball into the Suncorp Stadium crowd, filled with loud Queensland fans, was a moment that will go down in history.
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🖥️ The Decider | Exclusive, Live and Free on Channel 9 and 9Now. Not one to leave anything to chance, Hunt snatched the Cleary chip out of mid-air with less than two minutes remaining and ran 70 metres to seal the game and the series for his beloved Maroons.īen Hunt has just cemented himself in Origin history. Nathan Cleary put a few towering bombs up, but to no avail - so he went for a low-percentage chip and chase with the clock ticking.
It allowed the Maroons to camp on the Blues line for three-straight minutes, which ended with Kalyn Ponga scoring a try to put them ahead.Īfter defending plenty of the second-half, NSW looked to muster up a last-ditch effort to level the scores or take the lead. In the 58th minute, Hunt produced a trademark 40/20 to give Queensland the field position. Short of leading the Dragons to a premiership before his career comes to an end, starring in an Origin series victory and coming up with a clutch play in a decider was the only way Hunt's redemption arc would be finalised. He has become a leader at club and Origin level, a more complete playmaker and a player filled with confidence.īut despite his resurgence on an individual level, the memories of 2015 still likely weighed heavy on Hunt. Since the arrival of fellow Rockhampton boy Anthony Griffin as head coach at the start of 2021, Hunt's game has evolved. His form since arriving at the Dragons in 2018 on a rich long-term deal had ranged from brilliant to a basket case, as the Red V struggled to make the finals each year. The 32-year-old had become a punching bag for the media and fans. His dropped ball of the kick-off, as simple an error as it was, has been replayed in highlights packages for the entirety of those seven years. Hunt had been haunted by the 2015 Grand Final for almost seven years. That's how long it took Ben Hunt to complete his redemption arc within the wild series of events that is rugby league.
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