Shock 12-year NRL return in Broncos shuffle
Karmichael Hunt is set to end a 12-year absence from the NRL after he was named alongside Albert Kelly as the Brisbane Broncos’ seventh halves pair for the season.
Injuries, suspension, form issues and the Broncos’ indifferent form has seen rookie coach turn to the 34-year-old dual international for his first NRL game since the 2009 season.
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It comes after the Broncos were thrashed 52-24 by the St George Illawarra Dragons on Thursday night, having returned from an MCL injury last week.
The Broncos have been trounced by the Melbourne Storm and the Dragons and remain just two points ahead of the Canterbury Bulldogs on the ladder and well in contention for a second straight wooden spoon.
But Hunt, who left rugby league in 2009 for a brief stint in rugby union before moving on to the AFL with the Gold Coast Suns, where he tallied 44 games over four seasons with six goals.
He then returned to rugby union before making a Wallabies debut in 2017.
Hunt rejoined rugby league this season and joined the Broncos on a train-and-trial deal in April.
Karmichael Hunt is set for an NRL return.Source:News Corp Australia
The brilliant fullback scored 53 tries in 125 games for the Broncos from his debut in 2004 until Brisbane’s preliminary final loss to the Storm in 2009 and won a premiership with the club in 2006.
Hunt also played 10 Origins for Queensland and scored four tries in 11 Tests for the Kangaroos.
Hunt told The Courier Mail earlier this week that he was ready to go for the Broncos.
“I’m pretty confident in the condition I’m in and with my footy,” he said.
“If Kevvie needs me, wherever he needs me, I’ll do a job for him.
“I did my MCL in the PNG game (May 16). It was a grade two, but it’s healed really nicely. It’s all good.
“I’ve been on light duties for a bit, but trained two sessions with the boys at Red Hill last week and was good to go.”
FRIDAY
Manly Sea Eagles vs North Queensland Cowboys @ Lottoland, 6pm
Sea Eagles: 1. Tom Trbojevic 2. Jason Saab 3. Brad Parker 4. Morgan Harper 5. Reuben Garrick 6. Kieran Foran 7. Daly Cherry-Evans 8. Taniela Paseka 9. Lachlan Croker 10. Martin Taupau 11. Haumole Olakau’atu 12. Karl Lawton 13. Jake Trbojevic 14. Dylan Walker 15. Moses Suli 16. Ben Trbojevic 17. Toafofoa Sipley 18. Kurt De Luis 19. Cade Cust 20. Christian Tuipulotu 21. Jorge Taufua
Cowboys: 1. Valentine Holmes 2. Kyle Feldt 3. Javid Bowen 4. Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow 5. Murray Taulagi 6. Scott Drinkwater 7. Tom Dearden 8. Tom Gilbert 9. Reece Robson 10. Jordan McLean 11. Shane Wright 12. Coen Hess 13. Jason Taumalolo 14. Jake Granville 15. Peter Hola 16. Lachlan Burr 17. Francis Molo 18. Justin O’Neill 19. Ben Condon 20. Daejarn Asi 21. Corey Jensen
Cronulla Sharks vs Penrith Panthers @ Netstrata Jubilee Stadium, 7.55pm
Sharks: 1. Will Kennedy 2. Connor Tracey 3. Will Chambers 4. Jesse Ramien 5. Ronaldo Mulitalo 6. Matt Moylan 7. Shaun Johnson 8. Aiden Tolman 9. Blayke Brailey 10. Aaron Woods 11. Briton Nikora 12. Wade Graham 13. Toby Rudolf 14. Braydon Trindall 15. Siosifa Talakai 16. Jack Williams 17. Andrew Fifita 18. Teig Wilton 19. Chad Townsend 20. Franklin Pele 21. Mawene Hiroti
Panthers: 1. Dylan Edwards 2. Charlie Staines 3. Stephen Crichton 4. Paul Momirovski 5. Robert Jennings 6. Matt Burton 7. Tyrone May 8. Moses Leota 9. Apisai Koroisau 10. James Fisher-Harris 11. Viliame Kikau 12. Scott Sorensen 13. Matthew Eisenhuth 14. Mitch Kenny 15. J’maine Hopgood 16. Spencer Leniu 17. Izack Tago 18. Isaah Yeo 19. Nathan Cleary 20. Liam Martin 21. Jarome Luai
The Panthers’ Origin stars may be rested.Source:Getty Images
SATURDAY
Gold Coast Titans vs Sydney Roosters @ Cbus Super Stadium, 3pm
Titans: 1. Alexander Brimson 2. Greg Marzhew 3. Brian Kelly 4. Patrick Herbert 5. Phillip Sami 6. Ashley Taylor 7. Jamal Fogarty 8. Jarrod Wallace 9. Erin Clark 10. Moeaki Fotuaika 11. Kevin Proctor 12. David Fifita 13. Tino Fa’asuamaleaui 14. Tyrone Peachey 15. Jaimin Jolliffe 16. Sam McIntyre 17. Esan Marsters 18. Sam Stone 19. Joseph Vuna 20. Jai Whitbread 21. Jayden Campbell
Roosters: 1. James Tedesco 2. Daniel Tupou 3. Josh Morris 4. Joseph Manu 5. Matt Ikuvalu 6. Lachlan Lam 7. Sam Walker 8. Jared Waerea-Hargreaves 9. Ben Marschke 10. Siosiua Taukeiaho 11. Angus Crichton 12. Sitili Tupouniua 13. Isaac Liu 14. Adam Keighran 15. Egan Butcher 16. Daniel Suluka-Fifita 17. Fletcher Baker 18. Tukupa Hau Tapuha 19. Ben Thomas 20. Brad Abbey 21. Joseph Suaalii
South Sydney Rabbitohs vs Newcastle Knights @ Stadium Australia, 5.30pm
Rabbitohs: 1. Latrell Mitchell 2. Alex Johnston 3. Braidon Burns 4. Campbell Graham 5. Taane Milne 6. Cody Walker 7. Adam Reynolds 8. Mark Nicholls 9. Damien Cook 10. Tevita Tatola 11. Keaon Koloamatangi 12. Jacob Host 13. Cameron Murray 14. Benji Marshall 15. Jaydn Su’A 16. Hame Sele 17. Thomas Burgess 18. Liam Knight 19. Patrick Mago 20. Blake Taaffe 21. Josh Mansour
Knights: 1. Tex Hoy 2. Enari Tuala 3. Kurt Mann 4. Bradman Best 5. Brayden Musgrove 6. Jake Clifford 7. Phoenix Crossland 8. Jacob Saifiti 9. Jayden Brailey 10. Daniel Saifiti 11. Brodie Jones 12. Lachlan Fitzgibbon 13. Mitchell Barnett 14. Connor Watson 15. Sauaso Sue 16. Josh King 17. Jack Johns 18. Gehamat Shibasaki 19. Jirah Momoisea 20. Mathew Croker 21. Dominic Young
Canberra Raiders vs Brisbane Broncos @ GIO Stadium, 7.35pm
Raiders: 1. Bailey Simonsson 2. Semi Valemei 3. Sebastian Kris 4. Matthew Timoko 5. Jordan Rapana 6. Jack Wighton 7. Sam Williams 8. Josh Papalii’i 9. Josh Hodgson 10. Dunamis Lui 11. Corey Harawira-Naera 12. Elliott Whitehead 13. Ryan Sutton 14. Tom Starling 15. Emre Guler 16. Iosia Soliola 17. Joseph Tapine 18. Elijah Anderson 19. Hudson Young 20. Matt Frawley 21. Harry Rushton
Broncos: 1. Herbie Farnworth 2. Xavier Coates 3. Dale Copley 4. Jesse Arthars 5. Selwyn Cobbo 6. Karmichael Hunt 7. Albert Kelly 8. Matthew Lodge 9. Jake Turpin 10. Payne Haas 11. Alex Glenn 12. Tevita Pangai Junior 13. Thomas Flegler 14. Kobe Hetherington 15. John Asiata 16. Keenan Palasia 17. TC Robati 18. Tesi Niu 19. Cory Paix 20. David Mead 21. Jordan Riki
SUNDAY
New Zealand Warriors vs Melbourne Storm @ Central Coast Stadium, 2pm
Warriors: 1. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck 2. Marcelo Montoya 3. Euan Aitken 4. Rocco Berry 5. Edward Kosi 6. Kodi Nikorima 7. Chanel Harris-Tavita 8. Jamayne Taunoa-Brown 9. Wayde Egan 10. Leeson Ah Mau 11. Bayley Sironen 12. Tohu Harris 13. Josh Curran 14. Jack Murchie 15. Kane Evans 16. Bunty Afoa 17. Ben Murdoch-Masila 18. Jazz Tevaga 20. Sean O’Sullivan 21. Ken Maumalo 23. Addin Fonua-Blake
Storm: 1. Nicholas Hynes 2. George Jennings 3. Reimis Smith 4. Justin Olam 5. Josh Addo-Carr 6. Cameron Munster 7. Jahrome Hughes 8. Jesse Bromwich 9. Brandon Smith 10. Nelson Asofa-Solomona 11. Kenneath Bromwich 12. Felise Kaufusi 13. Dale Finucane 14. Harry Grant 15. Tui Kamikamica 16. Christian Welch 17. Aaron Pene 18. Dean Ieremia 19. Tom Eisenhuth 20. Marion Seve 21. Chris Lewis
Parramatta Eels vs Wests Tigers @ Bankwest Stadium, 4.05pm
Eels: 1. Clinton Gutherson 2. Maika Sivo 3. Tom Opacic 4. Waqa Blake 5. Haze Dunster 6. Dylan Brown 7. Mitchell Moses 8. Reagan Campbell-Gillard 9. Joey Lussick 10. Junior Paulo 11. Isaiah Papali’i 12. Ryan Matterson 13. Nathan Brown 14. Marata Niukore 15. Shaun Lane 16. Oregon Kaufusi 17. Bryce Cartwright 18. Will Smith 19. Blake Ferguson 20. Jakob Arthur 21. Nathaniel Roache
Tigers: 1. Daine Laurie 2. David Nofoaluma 3. Adam Doueihi 4. Tommy Talau 5. James Roberts 6. Moses Mbye 7. Luke Brooks 8. James Tamou 9. Jacob Liddle 10. Alex Twal 11. Luke Garner 12. Luciano Leilua 13. Joe Ofahengaue 14. Stefano Utoikamanu 15. Shawn Blore 16. Tom Amone 17. Alex Seyfarth 18. Michael Chee-Kam 19. Billy Walters 20. Kelma Tuilagi 21. Jake Simpkin
MONDAY
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs vs St George Illawarra Dragons @ Stadium Australia, 4pm
Bulldogs: 1. Dallin Watene-Zelezniak 2. Nick Cotric 3. Will Hopoate 4. Aaron Schoupp 5. Nick Meaney 6. Brandon Wakeham 7. Jake Averillo 8. Jack Hetherington 9. Jeremy Marshall-King 10. Luke Thompson 11. Adam Elliott 12. Matt Doorey 13. Josh Jackson 14. Sione Katoa 15. Dylan Napa 16. Ava Seumanufagai 17. Joe Stimson 19. Kyle Flanagan 20. Corey Waddell 21. Tuipulotu Katoa 23. Chris Smith
Dragons: 1. Matthew Dufty 2. Cody Ramsey 3. Brayden Wiliame 4. Gerard Beale 5. Mikaele Ravalawa 6. Corey Norman 7. Ben Hunt 8. Blake Lawrie 9. Andrew McCullough 10. Paul Vaughan 11. Josh Kerr 12. Jack Bird 13. Jackson Ford 14. Talatau Amone 15. Poasa Faamausili 16. Daniel Alvaro 17. Jack de Belin 18. Adam Clune 19. Kaide Ellis 20. Tariq Sims 21. Billy Burns
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