Broncos veteran Ben Hunt is reportedly considering playing on in 2027 in a call that could be impacted by Adam Reynolds’ future as the club clears space for the veteran playmaker.
The Courier Mail reported Hunt is leaning towards extending his second coming at the Broncos into a third season.
Hunt is off-contract in 2026 and has been free to negotiate with rivals from November 1, but he is unlikely to play for another NRL club and the Broncos are keen to re-sign him at the right price.
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Hunt is on a reported deal worth $550,000 a season and would command at least that much again to play on beyond his current deal.
It had been tipped that Hunt and fellow 35-year-old half Adam Reynolds would retire at the end of 2026, with Jonah Pezet and Blake Mozer set to replace them in the Broncos’ spine long-term.
However, Reynolds has indicated he will play on in 2027 if his body holds up and now Hunt looks like he is keen to do the same.
“I’m not going to say I’m definitely retiring at all,” Hunt told The Courier Mail
“I’m still really enjoying myself and loving the game as much as I ever have.
“I’m healthy and right now, I still feel like I’m playing decent enough footy.
“As long as I feel like I can keep contributing for Brisbane and I’m not going to let my teammates down, then I could play on for sure.”
Broncos coach Michael Maguire admitted a decision on Hunt’s future could be linked to what Reynolds decides to do.
“A lot depends on ‘Reyno’s’ path next year, but it’s quite handy having a player like ‘Hunty’ around,” Maguire said.
“The reason we brought him back to the club was because of what he could offer our group with his experience and he was so important for us at different stages of the season when we had injuries.
“We worked hard to get Benny back to the club. He saw it as a great opportunity for him to back come and achieve something special and now that he’s done that, there’s no reason he can’t keep going if the hunger is there.”
Hunt, who will be 37 in the first month of the 2027 season, has scored 86 tries in 355 games for the Broncos and Dragons since his debut in 2009, while also playing 20 Origins for the Maroons and 15 Tests for the Kangaroos.
Reynolds turns 37 in July of 2027 and has scored 54 tries and 2,524 points in 309 games for the Rabbitohs and Broncos since his debut in 2012.
Adam Reynolds and Ben Hunt are looking to play on in 2027.Source: News Corp Australia
SHARKS DUO LINKED WITH EXITS AMID SALARY CAP SQUEEZE
The Sharks could reportedly lose Jesse Ramien to the Cowboys, while William Kennedy may be shown the door amid a salary cap squeeze at the club.
The Daily Telegraph reported Ramien is being hunted by the Cowboys to make the switch north, while Kennedy is on the outer amid the club’s salary cap concerns.
Both stars are off-contract in 2026 and have been free to negotiate with rivals from November 1.
Kennedy recently signed a one-year extension for 2026, after being linked with a switch to R360, before the NRL’s 10 year ban rule was introduced.
The Cowboys are keen to add some strike to their backline, that has been missing since Valentine Holmes moved to the Dragons and are targeting Ramien to fill the void.
Ramien is on around $500,000, but the Sharks are yet to table him a formal offer for 2027 and beyond.
The Cowboys had eyes on Ramien back in 2019, before he signed with the Knights, before switching back to the Sharks after one season.
The Sharks centre and his management held negotiations with the Perth Bears, but it is understood Mal Meninga has other ideas about his centre options.
“Jesse is one of the most professional players in the NRL,” Ramien’s manager Trevor Conroy said.
“He rarely gets injured and a lot of it is down to the way he prepares for games, which includes regular ice baths.”
Ramien, 28, has scored 56 tries in 170 games for the Sharks and Knights since his debut in 2017.
Kennedy, also 28, has scored 51 tries in 134 games for Cronulla since his debut in 2019, but has fallen out of favour after failing to take his game to greater heights over the last couple of seasons as the Sharks have fallen short in back-to-back preliminary finals.
Jesse Ramien is in the sights of the Cowboys.Source: Getty Images
ROOSTERS GUN SET TO INK $2M EXTENSION
The Sydney Roosters have locked up boom centre Robert Toia with a $2 million contract upgrade and extension that will keep him at the club until at least 2029.
The Daily Telegraph reported Toia, who is already contracted until the end of 2027, has been given an upgrade and two year extension to the tune of $2 million.
The 21-year-old is coming off a breakout rookie year after debuting for the Roosters and scoring seven tries in 22 NRL games in 2025.
Toia also made his Origin debut for Queensland, playing three games in the Maroons’ series win, before earning his Test debut for Tonga in the Pacific Championships.
The Roosters moved quickly to upgrade Toia and extend his deal for another two seasons to ward off rival approaches for the next few seasons.
The shrewd move puts a stop to any potential poaching raids from new expansion clubs the Perth Bears and the Papua New Guinea Chiefs, who enter the NRL in 2027 and 2028 respectively.
Toia will reunite with Queensland captain for his debut Daly Cherry-Evans, who has joined the Roosters from the Sea Eagles on two year deal.
Toia was named Dally M rookie of the year after a stunning first season in first grade, which was delayed due to two ACL injuries over the last couple of seasons.
Initially Toia feared he might not make it in the NRL after his dual knee injury setbacks, but he put that to bed with a stunning rookie campaign in 2025.
“I had some doubts about whether I could play at a high level but never did I think about giving it away to be honest,” Toia said.
“The love of the game kept me in league.
“When I was 15, before I signed my first Roosters contract, the Reds were keen, but my heart was always with rugby league.
“It was an easy decision really. It wasn’t much of a fight to be honest.”
Robert Toia is set to sign an upgraded extension.Source: Getty Images
SOUTHS ENFORCER LINKED TO TWO NRL RIVALS
Off-contract Souths and Kangaroos enforcer Keaon Koloamatangi is reportedly being chased hard by two NRL rivals as he weighs up his future beyond 2026.
The Sydney Morning Herald reported the Canberra Raiders will be in the market for Koloamatangi, while Brent Read revealed on Triple M that the Parramatta Eels are set to make a big play for his services.
The 27-year-old has scored 24 tries in 126 NRL games fore Souths since his debut in 2020, while he has also played one Origin for the Blues and 13 Test matches for Tonga and the Kangaroos.
After debuting for Australia in the 2025 Ashes series, Koloamatangi revealed he is motivated by winning a premiership when considering his next deal.
“I’m not too big on ‘max’ money,” Koloamatangi told The Sydney Morning Herald.
“I still want to compete for a premiership. I have to meet my manager on Tuesday and discuss a few things; it’s early days.
“But I have two little ones and my fiancée to look after, I have to think about my family – they’re my No. 1 priority.”
Souths narrowly avoided the wooden spoon in 2025 and Koloamatangi admitted the chance to finish the year in a winning environment with the Kangaroos was a welcome change.
“There are a lot of things that will come into consideration,” Koloamatangi said.
“Playing in this [Ashes] series, I’m over the moon, and considering we didn’t too well in clubland this year, it was good to go out [on a] winning [note].
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Keaon Koloamatangi is being chased by the Raiders and the Eels.Source: Getty Images
“Hanging out with players at the top of their game, and seeing how professional they are, I can’t wait to go back as a leader to the Bunnies and hopefully chase that premiership.
“A lot of [younger] players might look up to me because I’ve played for Australia now. I have to step up, be that older player; my voice will be heard more.”
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