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Has Ben Hunt Won a Premiership? A Decade of Agony Ends in Broncos Redemption By our Sports Correspondent The long-standing question over whether veteran playmaker Ben Hunt has won an NRL premiership has finally been answered, as the 35-year-old halfback played a critical role in the Brisbane Broncos' thrilling 26-22 Grand Final victory over the Melbourne Storm on Sunday. The win secured the club's first title in two decades and, more significantly for Hunt, delivered a powerful sense of redemption, exorcising the memories of the golden-point defeat he endured a decade ago. The conclusion of the 2025 season marks a profound shift in the narrative surrounding one of the National Rugby League’s most decorated, yet often scrutinized, players. For 10 years, Hunt's career was inextricably linked not to his representative honours for Queensland and Australia, but to a single, fateful moment in the 2015 Grand Final—a moment of misfortune that allowed the North Queensland Cowboys to snatch victory in extra time. That lingering ghost, which followed him through seven years at the St George Illawarra Dragons, has now been laid to rest. The Weight of the 2015 Decider To understand the significance of the 2025 triumph, one must revisit the 2015 showdown between the Broncos and the Cowboys. In what is widely regarded as one of the greatest Grand Finals in rugby league history, the match ended 16-16 after 80 minutes. Four seconds into Golden Point extra time, Ben Hunt, then playing halfback for the Broncos, dropped the ensuing kick-off spiralling from the boot of Johnathan Thurston, handing the Cowboys immediate field position. Thurston converted the resultant possession into a famous winning field goal just moments later. For years, despite his consistent effort and subsequent elevation to captaincy at the Dragons, that handling error became the defining clip used by critics and highlight reels, overshadowing his outstanding contributions to the club and the State of Origin arena.
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The veteran acknowledged the emotional toll of that event following the 2025 victory. Speaking from the jubilant Broncos dressing room, Hunt admitted the moment had haunted him for a decade. "I can't count [the sleepless nights]," he stated. “I’ve dreamt of this the last 10 years. It’s taken 350-plus games but it is all worth it. All the hard yards, the family, the friends and coaches that have put time into me over the years, it’s a little bit of repayment for them. ” A Calculated Return for the Ultimate Prize Hunt's pursuit of a premiership saw him make a crucial career decision in the previous off-season, seeking a release from his contract with the Dragons to make an emotional return to the Broncos, the club where his career began. He was lured back by the singular goal of securing the title that had eluded him. This move was praised by several analysts who recognised the motivation behind the transfer. Many believed the talented Broncos squad, under the guidance of coach Michael Maguire, was one of the few places Hunt could realistically chase the elusive title before his playing days concluded.
The 2025 season saw Hunt return to the form that earned him consecutive Dally M halfback nominations, playing across halfback and five-eighth to cover injuries, most notably to co-captain Adam Reynolds. His leadership and composure were pivotal in the latter stages of the season, particularly in the preliminary final where he slotted a golden point field goal to secure the team's place in the decider. Coach Maguire was quick to highlight Hunt’s influence during the finals series, stating: "He's brought plenty of experience, he's the ultimate competitor and he's a calm head. He’s played a lot of footy so to have him and Reynolds out there, they’re really calm influences on us. ” The Final Chapter and Concussion Drama The Grand Final itself provided a final, dramatic twist to the redemption story. Trailing 22-12 in the second half, the Broncos staged a remarkable comeback. Hunt was instrumental in steering the ship after Reynolds left the field with a calf injury in the 49th minute. However, with eight minutes remaining and Brisbane leading 26-22, Hunt’s game was cut short after he suffered a brutal head knock while tackling a Melbourne forward. He was ruled out under HIA protocols and forced to watch the final, agonizing minutes of the match from the sideline alongside Reynolds. The sight of the two veteran halves watching nervously as their team held onto a narrow lead encapsulated the shared emotion of the club’s long premiership drought.
When the final siren sounded, signalling the Broncos’ victory, the emotional outpouring from Hunt was clear. The veteran openly described his return to Brisbane as “probably the best decision I’ve ever made. ” The significance of the win was not lost on the opposition. In a gracious post-match address, Melbourne Storm captain Harry Grant paid tribute to his representative teammate. “If there’s one bloke that deserves it, it’s probably Ben Hunt,” Grant said, acknowledging the decade-long struggle that the halfback had carried. The triumph has now completed one of the most compelling personal storylines in modern rugby league. Ben Hunt leaves the 2015 heartbreak in the past, forever cementing his place in the Broncos’ history not as the player who lost the Grand Final, but as the one who returned a decade later to help win it.
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