The NRL clubs in the hunt for Ben and how he would fit in

After several years of agitating for a release, Australia and Queensland representative star Ben Hunt has finally been cut loose by the St George Illawarra Dragons. He still had one year remaining on his contract, but after a few acrimonious public exchanges, the Dragons thought it best to send him on his way, rather than face a season of further drama.

Hunt was recently part of the Kangaroos squad that won the Pacific Championships, but never made it into the match-day 17. With international duty out of the way, he can now focus on nailing down his rugby league future which is open to several options. At 34 years of age, the end is very near for a player who has shown admirable resilience, considering he has starred in either the 7 or 9 jerseys through most of his career.

A return to Queensland was considered high on Hunt's priority list, with the Titans, Broncos and Dolphins all possible destinations at various times. But talk lately has suggested that Hunt is open to remaining in Sydney, if the deal is right. The Roosters and Bulldogs seem to be the only two Sydney NRL clubs realistically open to hiring Hunt for a short stint. While the prospect of a trip to England for a superannuation bump in the Super League has not been ruled out either.

Hunt and his wife have recently purchased a property in Bangalow, about an hour's drive from the Gold Coast. Obviously, this is where he would like to end up, but it doesn't necessarily discount any of the other cards that are currently in play. Let's have a deeper look at some of the options open to Hunt.

Sydney Roosters

The Roosters have emerged as strong favourites to sign Hunt, despite recently signing Cowboys veteran halfback Chad Townsend for a similar reason. With halfback Sam Walker recovering from an ACL injury, which will keep him out for the majority of 2025, and Luke Keary off to Super League, the Roosters need a temporary solution in the halves. With hooker Brandon Smith also out injured and rumoured to be on the outer with coaching staff, Hunt and Townsend could both find spots in the starting line-up, whether it be pairing up in the halves or with one of them taking on the dummy-half role.

While the salary cap has never really been an issue for the Roosters, they have recently freed up plenty of space with the departure of Keary, Joseph Manu, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii and the mysterious release of prop Terrell May.

There is a very good chance that Hunt could emulate Cooper Cronk and play out the final two years of his career for the Roosters. It remains to be seen whether he could be as successful as Cronk, who famously led the club to back-to-back premierships in 2018 and 2019.

Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs

The Bulldogs have assembled a team capable of making the finals, as they proved in 2024, but inarguably lack the polish to go all the way. Toby Sexton finished the season at halfback and cemented his position with an improving contribution, but there are doubts over whether his ceiling is high enough to include a premiership-winning performance. In the wings awaits superstar junior half Mitch Woods, who may be a year or two away from making his NRL debut.

It seems that Hunt could be a perfect boost to the Bulldogs' immediate chances, as well as providing valuable tutelage to Woods. Could Hunt be the man to take the Bulldogs through to the big dance and, after saying for years that he yearns for the Sunshine State, does he really want to join a club that is literally right next door to the Dragons?

Brisbane Broncos

Hunt would seemingly be a perfect fit for the Broncos in the No. 9 jersey, particularly now it appears they are prepared to persist with Ezra Mam despite his off-field issues. With Adam Reynolds having signed on for one more year and with a history of recent injuries, having Hunt on the roster would also be perfect cover for the halves, while competing with Billy Walters for the dummy-half role.