It looks like Brisbane is set to poach Hunt from the Dragons... but the Broncos great isn't so keen

After formalizing a release from St George Illawarra, the Broncos will sign wantaway Dragons skipper Ben Hunt on a short-term deal.

The Daily Telegraph reported Hunt is set to be granted a release from the Dragons as early as Monday to make an immediate switch to the Broncos for the rest of the season. Hunt is expected to sign a lucrative two-year contract with the Titans to end his career.

It is likely that Hunt has played his last game for the Dtragons, barring a massive turnaround following a meeting with new coach Shane Flanagan.

Despite not having made a formal approach to Hunt, Brisbane will reach out to the Dragons on Sunday to discuss a transfer deal, which would involve a transfer fee similar to the $500K transfer fee that the Bulldogs paid for Karl Oloapu. Anti-tampering rules have been put on the radar of Queensland clubs, with the Broncos going to the Dragons before contacting Hunt, who is under contract until 2025.

The Broncos have enough money in their salary cap to sign Hunt for the remainder of the 2023 season on a deal worth an estimated $200,000.

Hunt is expected to play hooker or five-eighth, while Adam Reynolds will serve as captain and halfback. With the signature of Kangaroos and Maroons hooker, the Broncos are expected to win the 2023 premiership, which would be their first since 2006.

Hunt played for the Broncos in the last grand final in 2015, where he dropped a crucial catch in extra time off the kickoff that helped Johnathan Thurston score the Cowboys' winning field goal. Though he denied speaking to Hunt on Saturday, Broncos coach Kevin Walters admitted the club would be interested if Hunt became available. “I won't comment on Ben, I'll let the NRL sort it out and we'll just wait and see what happens,” Walters said.

It's clear that a majority of clubs would benefit from Ben Hunt's services. An NRL veteran, he has amassed 304 games in the competition since 2009, with 116 of those being at the Dragons. Queensland clubs have expressed particular interest in Hunt. Maroons coach Kevin Walters even stated that all of the state's teams aside from the Cowboys could likely take advantage of his work ethic, skill and toughness. The same could be said for Gold Coast's Dolphins too.

The Broncos expressed their ire after NRL salary cap auditor Matt Faulkner requested any correspondence they may have had with Ben Hunt. CEO Dave Donaghy refuted reports of contact between the club and Hunt, while head coach Walters stated that if he were to be a free agent, they would consider him like any other team would. Hunt's interest to move closer to family members in Queensland was at the forefront of his request for release, but he confessed revenge for the 2015 Grand Final loss was also part of his motivations.

The priority is to get home to Queensland. That's where we want to be," Hunt said.

Having thought it through, family is the number one priority for Ben Hunt. He's ready to come home to Queensland and make a chance at winning a Premiership with the Broncos before moving on to the Titans. It won't be seen in the best of lights if he left struggling St George Illawarra for the top-ranked Broncos, notes Corey Parker, who is fond of Ben on a personal level - but from a business standpoint it would be difficult to lose their most important player that way.

“Ben Hunt has stated he wants to play 7, if he goes to Brisbane he will likely play 9. The optics don't look good for Ben Hunt, going from a team that is near last to a team that is first.

Parker pointed out the Dragons can take a hard line on their skipper, noting they are under no obligation to grant him his wish to switch clubs. He proposed that St George Illawarra could demand either financial compensation or exchange Hunt for another player, such as Queensland halfback Billy Walters. Parker noted that even if Hunt were to go to the Broncos and win a premiership at number nine, it would not look good for the Dragons. Therefore, he argued now is not the right time for Hunt to leave them.