LeagueNews.co | Jason Patrick
Ben Hunt, now a newly minted 350-game NRL player, has expressed regret about leaving the Brisbane Broncos, indicating there are moments he wishes he had remained with the team. Hunt, a 20-time Queensland Maroons State of Origin representative, began his NRL career with the Broncos in 2009 and played 187 matches until the end of 2017.
His departure from Brisbane was not under the best circumstances; following a heartbreaking loss in the 2015 grand final, where he infamously dropped the kick-off in golden point, Hunt moved to the Dragons on a lucrative $1 million per season contract-an offer he felt he could not refuse, as he disclosed on Channel 9's 100% Footy.
During his seven years with the Dragons, Hunt played 147 games but only managed to participate in a single finals series. This lack of success began to weigh heavily on him, with Hunt admitting it pushed him to a point where he contemplated quitting rugby league altogether.
"When you start getting it from everywhere and constantly, you really start looking at yourself and thinking that it is all you," he shared during the show. "You start trying to take the blame for everything, and it gets tough. I guess I stopped enjoying the game of rugby league."
Hunt reflected on the passion that initially drove him to play, stating, "The only reason I really started playing, I just loved playing footy," and noted that after disappointing losses, he often found it difficult to escape his own thoughts when he returned home.