Why Ben Hunt salary must spark NRL change; Big-name trio on Wayne Bennett’s radar — Crawls

Ben Hunt’s signing for the Brisbane Broncos on a hugely reduced wage to what he was previously earning at the Dragons further highlights why the NRL should make all player salaries public, and it should include all third party agreements.

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No one is suggesting there is anything dodgy about the deal Hunt has done with the Broncos, who have signed the Queensland Origin star for a steal on an estimated $600,000 per season for the next two years.

This is despite Hunt earning $1 million plus for the majority of his seven years at the Dragons; although he is now coming into his final years as a footballer, which understandably reduces his real market worth.

But regardless, you compare the Broncos’ roster to some of the battlers across the NRL and it certainly highlights a clear advantage some clubs have over their rivals.

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Even allowing for Ezra Mam’s expected absence as he awaits a court hearing to determine his immediate playing future, Mam’s wage will still go on the cap.

Just look at the salary cap struggle a club like the Newcastle Knights are going through now and it puts things in further perspective, especially when you factor in third party deals that a big club like the Broncos have at their disposal.

So the addition of Hunt to play in the halves alongside Adam Reynolds in a side that also includes the likes of Reece Walsh, Payne Haas, Pat Carrigan, Kotoni Staggs and Selwyn Cobbo (who would all fetch the best part of $1 million per season on the open market) has almost given them what many fans at other clubs would deem an unfair advantage under the circumstances.

I have campaigned for years that the NRL should make all player salaries public to end the confusion and distrust amongst fans.

People will always argue that players are entitled to their privacy.

It hasn’t stopped elite sports around the world making salaries public, especially when a competition works in conjunction with a salary cap.

Hiding the registered salaries certainly doesn’t stop the speculation given the media always put a figure on every deal that is done regardless.

As I’ve said previously, if there is nothing to hide, why hide it?

MORE HEAT ON HUNT THAN ANYONE

Now to what Hunt’s decision will mean to the Broncos on the field. Will it instantly return them to a premiership force?

I’ll say this: if Hunt felt burdened by the constant pressure on him at the Dragons, he’s now walking straight into the bonfire at the Broncos.

Make no mistake, there won’t be a new recruit across the entire NRL who will carry more expectation on his shoulders than the veteran playmaker in 2025.

Some would argue Jarome Luai has a bigger job ahead of him at Wests Tigers.

The difference there is that any improvement will be seen as a victory for Luai given the fact the Tigers are coming off three straight wooden spoons.

In comparison, Hunt has made it clear that he joined the Broncos because he believes they have a roster capable of challenging for a premiership immediately.

So the expectation will be and should be that nothing less than a top-four finish is acceptable given the class of the Broncos’ stacked roster.

Hunt has said himself that is a big part of the reason why he chose to return to Brisbane ahead of joining the Roosters and the Bulldogs, while he turned his back on the Dolphins despite the fact they offered him the biggest salary package of the lot.

The fact the Broncos didn’t play finals footy this year won’t matter one iota.

In fact, the sacking of Broncos legend Kevin Walters only intensifies the scrutiny on the entire playing group, and that won’t excuse the club’s new star recruit.

For all Hunt has achieved at State of Origin level for Queensland, he had just one finals appearance in his seven seasons at the Dragons.

And no Broncos fans will ever forget how the 2015 NRL grand final played out when Hunt dropped the ball from a kick-off in golden point extra time, allowing Johnathan Thurston to close out the Cowboy’s historic victory.

Yet it’s how the next two years play out that will determine Hunt’s lasting legacy as a club footballer.

BENNETT’S BIG-NAME SIGNING HITLIST

Wayne Bennett officially returns to South Sydney on Monday and at the top of the priority list will be what to do with the money freed up by Lachlan Ilias’ move to the Dragons.

It’s no secret the injury Cam Murray picked up playing for Australia at the Pacific Nations has only intensified the Rabbitohs’ urgency to add to their forwards stocks.

And they’d love to bring in a player to add a bit more mongrel to their pack, which has been missing ever since Sam Burgess’ retirement.

It remains to be seen if the Rabbitohs will also apply for a salary cap relief to help cover the loss of Murray, who is expected to be sidelined for at least the first two months of the season.

The two names that are getting mentioned are Matt Lodge and Brandon Smith, while unwanted Tiger John Bateman is the other big-name forward still looking for a new home.

All three would bring much-needed aggression to the Rabbitohs.

While Smith would be ideal if the Roosters were to consider releasing him from the final year of his deal, the issue for the Rabbitohs is that the star Kiwi will be sitting out half the season as he recovers from knee surgery.

That’s probably why Souths couldn’t afford to take Smith on, which makes Lodge the most likely – although it still wouldn’t shock me to see Bateman end up at the Bunnies, despite all the previous denials.