Unlike most halfbacks, Brisbane coach Anthony Griffin says Ben Hunt doesn't have a problem in defence.
"The defence isn't an issue for him because he spent the last three years playing hooker and having to defend in the middle," Griffin said after Brisbane's gripping 16-14 win over the Tigers on Saturday night.
"But he's certainly hard to unravel. And his defensive stuff on the edge there tonight was terrific. They kept running the big guys at him and he kept turning up."
And by the looks of his actions in the clutch moments – such as his 76th minute game-winning goal – match-turning plays certainly aren't missing from his armoury, either.
"When we needed that line break, he got it. And then under pressure he jammed the kick. We've been patchy with our finishes and being able to close those games out. It was nice that we turned up in defence tonight when we had to in the end there."
But on Saturday night, in his 100th first grade game, Hunt wanted to tick another box in his rugby league bucket list.
Having run out without his State of Origin minders in Justin Hodges, Matt Gillett, Corey Parker – as well as the injured Sam Thaiday – the 24-year-old felt like he needed to be The Man. Fitting, given this is the time of the year we call Brisbane the Baby Broncos.
"I felt like I had to take a bit more of a leadership role. And that's something I have to do every week in my position – play that leadership role, lead the boys around the park," he said.
"[But] especially this week – I had to stand up there."
And with that the little maestro engineered what Griffin labelled one of his most mature performances of the season. The 2008 Holden Cup Player of the Year laid on two tries, kicked a perfect four from four, and came up with the match-turning line break that led to the match-winning goal.
"I just thought, 'We're down there, there's a couple of minutes to go, we might as well have a shot'," he said.
"I had a chance of getting that than a field goal or something. I just thought, 'Go into it confident.' And [it] just come off.
"It wasn't the prettiest win, but we really toughed it out. We kicked well and we ground out a good win. I'd say it was one of my most mature performances. It wasn't pretty, but it definitely got the job done."
"The defence isn't an issue for him because he spent the last three years playing hooker and having to defend in the middle," Griffin said after Brisbane's gripping 16-14 win over the Tigers on Saturday night.
"But he's certainly hard to unravel. And his defensive stuff on the edge there tonight was terrific. They kept running the big guys at him and he kept turning up."
And by the looks of his actions in the clutch moments – such as his 76th minute game-winning goal – match-turning plays certainly aren't missing from his armoury, either.
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"When we needed that line break, he got it. And then under pressure he jammed the kick. We've been patchy with our finishes and being able to close those games out. It was nice that we turned up in defence tonight when we had to in the end there."
But on Saturday night, in his 100th first grade game, Hunt wanted to tick another box in his rugby league bucket list.
Having run out without his State of Origin minders in Justin Hodges, Matt Gillett, Corey Parker – as well as the injured Sam Thaiday – the 24-year-old felt like he needed to be The Man. Fitting, given this is the time of the year we call Brisbane the Baby Broncos.
"I felt like I had to take a bit more of a leadership role. And that's something I have to do every week in my position – play that leadership role, lead the boys around the park," he said.
"[But] especially this week – I had to stand up there."
And with that the little maestro engineered what Griffin labelled one of his most mature performances of the season. The 2008 Holden Cup Player of the Year laid on two tries, kicked a perfect four from four, and came up with the match-turning line break that led to the match-winning goal.
"I just thought, 'We're down there, there's a couple of minutes to go, we might as well have a shot'," he said.
"I had a chance of getting that than a field goal or something. I just thought, 'Go into it confident.' And [it] just come off.
"It wasn't the prettiest win, but we really toughed it out. We kicked well and we ground out a good win. I'd say it was one of my most mature performances. It wasn't pretty, but it definitely got the job done."
