Ben Hunt Brisbane Broncos Salary, Salary Change Released; List of South Sydney Rabbitohs signings of Wayne Bennett

Ben Hunt’s signing for the Brisbane Broncos on a significantly reduced salary compared to what he previously earned at the Dragons further highlights why the NRL should make all player salaries public and include all third-party agreements.

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Nobody is suggesting there is anything dodgy about the deal Hunt struck with the Broncos, who signed the Queensland Origin star for a reported steal of $600,000 per season for the next two years.

This is despite Hunt earning over $1 million for the majority of his seven years with the Dragons; although he is now entering his final years as a footballer, which naturally reduces his real value on the market.

Either way, you compare the Broncos’ roster to some of the NRL strugglers and it certainly highlights a clear advantage some clubs have over their rivals.

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Even accounting for Ezra Mam’s expected absence as he awaits a court hearing to determine his immediate future as a player, Mam’s salary will remain capped.

Just look at the salary cap struggle that a club like the Newcastle Knights are currently going through and it puts things into greater perspective, especially when you take into account the third party deals that a big club like the Broncos has at its disposal.

So the addition of Hunt to play in the halves alongside Adam Reynolds in a team that also includes Reece Walsh, Payne Haas, Pat Carrigan, Kotoni Staggs and Selwyn Cobbo (all of whom would bring in the best part of 1 million of dollars per season on the open market) almost gave them what many fans of other clubs would consider an unfair advantage under the circumstances.

I have campaigned for years for the NRL to make all player salaries public to end confusion and distrust among supporters.

People will always say that gamers have a right to their privacy.

That hasn’t stopped elite sports around the world from making salaries public, particularly when a competition is associated with a salary cap.

Hiding recorded salaries certainly doesn’t stop speculation, given that the media always encrypts every deal made, regardless of the reason.

As I said before, if there is nothing to hide, why hide it?

MORE HUNTING HEAT THAN ANYONE

Now let’s move on to what Hunt’s decision will mean for the Broncos on the field. Will this instantly return them to prime ministerial strength?

I will say this: if Hunt felt burdened by the constant pressure placed on him at the Dragons, he is now heading straight for the bonfire at the Broncos.

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

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

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

In comparison, Hunt made it clear he joined the Broncos because he believed they had a list capable of challenging for a premiership straight away.

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

Hunt himself said this was a large part of the reason he chose to return to Brisbane before joining the Roosters and Bulldogs, as he turned his back on the Dolphins despite them offering him the biggest salary of the lot.

The fact that the Broncos didn’t play final football this year won’t matter.

If anything, the sacking of Broncos legend Kevin Walters only increases the scrutiny placed on the entire playing group, and that won’t excuse the club’s new star signing.

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

And no Broncos fan will ever forget how the 2015 NRL Grand Final played out when Hunt dropped the ball straight from kick-off during golden point overtime, allowing Johnathan Thurston to close out the historic victory of the Cowboys.

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

BENNETT’S BIG NAME SIGNATURE LIST

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

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

And they would love to bring in a player to add a little more bastard to their pack, which has been missing since Sam Burgess retired.

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

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

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

While Smith would be ideal if the Roosters considered releasing him from the final year of his contract, the problem for the Rabbitohs is that the Kiwi star will be out half the season as he recovers from knee surgery.

This is probably why Souths couldn’t afford to play Smith, 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 .