Benjamin Hunt (born 27 March 1990) is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a mix of hooker, five-eighth and halfback for the Brisbane Broncos in the National Rugby League, with whom he won the 2025 NRL Grand Final. He has also represented the Queensland Maroons at State of Origin level and Australia at international test level.
He commenced his first-grade career as a halfback at the Brisbane Broncos in 2009, before moving to St. George Illawarra in 2018, and returning to the Broncos in 2025. Hunt played for Australia at international level as a hooker and bench utility from 2014 to 2023, winning the 2022 Rugby League World Cup Final, Hunt was also in Australia's title-winning inaugural 9's side in 2019. Hunt played for the Prime Ministers XIII on five occasions from 2014 to 2023.
Hunt was born in Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia. He grew up in Dingo, playing junior rugby league with the Blackwater Crushers, in Blackwater before attending St. Brendan's College in Yeppoon.
Ben Hunt is married to Bridget Hunt (née Hagan), an accredited dietitian. The couple tied the knot in 2017 in a ceremony attended by many NRL figures. They are parents to two children, Brady and Bowie.
Hunt's father Geoff played for Central Queensland during the mid-80s. Like his son after him, Geoff Hunt was a halfback, who played against the touring Great Britain Lions in 1984.
Despite growing up in Queensland, Hunt is a self-proclaimed Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks fan. As a youngster he idolised Mat Rogers which was the reason he supported the Sharks. Hunt has also cited Andrew Johns as the player who most influenced his game.
Hunt's brother-in-law is his former Brisbane Broncos teammate and former North Queensland Cowboys hooker Jake Granville, with Granville being married to Hunt's sister, Zoe. Hunt's wife, Bridget, is the niece of former Queensland player and coach Michael Hagan.
Hunt signed with the Brisbane Broncos as a youth player as a Hooker. In 2008, Hunt won the inaugural 2008 Toyota Cup (Under-20s) player of the year award and was also named in the team of the year, on the interchange bench. Hunt played halfback in the 2008 Toyota Cup Grand Final. Hunt played 45 games, scored 27 tries and kicked 93 goals for 294 points in his U20s career from 2008 to 2009.
In round 15 of the 2009 NRL season, Hunt made his NRL debut with the Brisbane Broncos at halfback in a 12–46 loss to the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks at Remondis Stadium. Hunt went on to play one more match that season, in round 20 against the Gold Coast Titans in a 14–34 loss at Robina Stadium.
In round 8, against the Newcastle Knights, Hunt scored his first NRL career try in Brisbane's 22–30 loss at Suncorp Stadium. The 2010 NRL season was seen as a breakthrough season for Hunt, as he played in 20 matches. After some impressive performances, that included scoring two tries, many were calling for Hunt to get a run as a starting hooker. Although Hunt stayed as a bench player, he demonstrated that he could be Brisbane's future halfback.
After a shaky start to 2011, Hunt regained his form with an impressive performance against the Canberra Raiders in the Brisbane clubs 20–4 win at Canberra Stadium in round 2. After showing solid form off the bench, Hunt broke his finger in a round 9 clash against the Melbourne Storm, Hunt made his return in round 17 against the Parramatta Eels but was then stood down for a week with teammate Andrew McCullough after being charged with public nuisance following a night of drinking in the Brisbane CBD. Hunt later returned in round 19 in the Brisbane sides 30–10 win against the Gold Coast at Suncorp Stadium. Hunt went on to play in 19 matches and score a try for the Brisbane club in the 2011 NRL season.
After the retirement of Brisbane captain Darren Lockyer, Hunt was nominated alongside teammate Corey Norman to fill the vacant five-eighth position. The pair battled out in the trials but Hunt eventually lost out to Norman, leaving Hunt on the bench for round 1. In round 7, against the Canberra Raiders, Hunt and Norman both got the chance to showcase their skills on the centre stage with regular halfback Peter Wallace a late withdrawal through injury. Norman and Hunt didn't disappoint with the pair combining beautifully as the Brisbane side ran out 30–6 winners at Suncorp Stadium. After the Broncos stumbled at the back end of 2012, losing 7 of 10 games en route to the finals, Hunt found himself in the five-eighth role with Norman dropped to the bench following poor form. Hunt found himself back on the bench as the Brisbane club were knocked out in the first week of the finals losing 33–16 against the North Queensland Cowboys. Over the course of the season, Hunt played in all 25 matches and scored a try.
Hunt continued his bench role for the start of the 2013 NRL season as Brisbane made a shaky start. He got his first opportunity in his preferred halfback role in the round 9 clash against Parramatta, as Scott Prince suffered an injury in the opening minutes of the game. On 14 May, Hunt signed a new two-year deal with the Brisbane side. Towards the back end of the season, Hunt secured the halfback position after Peter Wallace was benched and Corey Norman was dumped to the Queensland Cup for the rest of the year, scoring a try in his first game. He played in 23 matches and scored two tries in 2013.
In February 2014, Hunt was selected in the Broncos runners-up 2014 Auckland Nines squad. In June 2014, Hunt was named in the Queensland Maroons 22-man squad for game 2 as cover for halfback Daly Cherry-Evans, but Cherry-Evans recovered in time for the game, sending Hunt back to Brisbane. Hunt had an excellent season for the club, being one of the top contenders for the Dally M, finishing fourth in the votes and getting a pay rise to $450,000 a season. Hunt finished off the 2014 NRL season with playing in all of Brisbane's 25 matches, scoring 13 tries and kicking 21 goals.
On 14 October 2014, Hunt was selected for the Australia 2014 Four Nations 24-man squad. Hunt made his international debut for Australia against England at AAMI Park, coming off the interchange bench and scoring a try just after a couple of minutes of coming onto the field in Australia's 16–12 win. Hunt played off the interchange bench and scored a try in the Kangaroos 18-22 Four Nations final loss over New Zealand at Westpac Stadium. On 1 October 2014, Hunt re-signed with the Broncos until the end of the 2017 season.
In round 6, against the Sydney Roosters, Hunt scored 2 tries, one of them in golden point extra time, to win the match for Brisbane 22–18. In round 25, against the South Sydney Rabbitohs, Hunt scored his first NRL hat trick of tries in the 47–12 win at the Sydney Football Stadium. On 4 October 2015, in the 2015 NRL Grand Final against the North Queensland Cowboys, Hunt played at halfback in the Brisbane's historic golden point 16–17 loss. Hunt was heavily talked about after the match after a horror last three minutes, first being penalized for a lifting tackle on North Queensland centre Kane Linnett which resulting in Hunt being placed on report for the tackle. In Brisbane's last set with ball in the match, Hunt got his hands on the ball 44 metres out from Brisbane's line, but a loose carry resulted in a one-on-one strip from Kyle Feldt, who shortly after scored the try in the corner to tie up the match at 16-all. Four seconds into extra time, with the ball spiralling in the air, Hunt set himself underneath the ball but knocked on, which gave North Queensland the opportunity to win the match when their captain, Johnathan Thurston, kicked the winning field goal. Hunt played in 26 matches, scoring 12 tries and kicking 4 goals.
On 12 January, Hunt was selected in the QAS Emerging Maroons squad. On 4 February, Hunt, along with eight other members of the Queensland Emerging squad, was banned from Queensland State of Origin selection for 12 months after breaking team curfew. In round 10, against the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles, Hunt played his 150th NRL match in Brisbane's 30–6 win at Suncorp Stadium. Hunt managed still to play in all of Brisbane's 26 matches and score 7 tries. Hunt was added to the Australian Kangaroos 2016 Four Nations train-on squad but later failed to make the final 24-man squad.