Has Bent Hunt’s strong Origin campaign with Queensland earned him a place on the plane to the Rugby League World Cup later this year?
That was the question pondered by former Bronco Denan Kemp who feels the Dragons star looks set to wear the green and gold number nine later this year in the UK.
Speaking with Queensland assistant Cameron Smith, the pair discussed Hunt’s chances of starting at hooker for his country after outplaying his New South Wales adversaries in Origin.
Kemp: “Honestly, Ben Hunt, I think he’s got a lock on that Australian nine jersey.”
Smith: “I was going to say, Ben Hunt, do you put him at nine?”
Kemp: “I think you lock him in.”
Smith: “Well, he started at nine every game this series.
“You bring that combination into the World Cup with Ben Hunt at nine and Harry Grant at 14 coming on.”
Kemp: “I honestly think that’s the direction you go, I really do.”
Smith: “It’s a proven combination, and it suits particularly these rep games Harry’s style of play.
“He’s 100 miles an hour, that’s his strength, he gets on, he takes off and he runs.
“You have Ben Hunt on there for the first 20 and then you say, ‘Harry, on you go’.”
Kemp: “It worked for Queensland, the twists and turns of Ben Hunt’s career, if you said he’d be playing number nine for Australia, it’s just incredible.”
Australia will look to make it back-to-back-to-back World Cup victories when the tournament kicks off in the UK in October this year.
The final is set for Manchester’s Old Trafford on November 19.