Ben Hunt’s Sacrifice Shines Through Amidst Broncos’ Injury Crisis
During a challenging week for the Brisbane Broncos, coach Michael Maguire has highlighted the incredible sacrifice made by player Ben Hunt. This came as the team faced a series of injuries during their match against the Titans. Despite these setbacks, the team showed resilience and determination.
Injuries and Challenges
The match against the Titans saw several key players sidelined. Skipper Adam Reynolds was named in the starting side on Tuesday afternoon, despite earlier reports suggesting he had failed in a surprise attempt to return from injury against the Cowboys in Round 6. Reynolds limped off early in the 14-point win on the Gold Coast, and the team suffered further losses when Reece Walsh was taken off before halftime. Walsh, a superstar fullback, sustained a fractured cheekbone in a tackle and is expected to be out for 4-6 weeks after undergoing surgery for his third injury of this nature.
Hunt was also dealing with a knee complaint during the match, but he had it taped up at halftime and continued playing for the rest of the game. It was later discovered that the injury was more severe than initially thought, with scans revealing a grade three medial ligament tear that could keep him sidelined for up to eight weeks.
Maguire praised Hunt for his commitment to the team, highlighting his toughness and willingness to play through the pain. “He did it before half-time and had it taped up,” the Brisbane coach told The Courier Mail. “I saw him limp a little bit as he went back out in the second half and I kept an eye on him, but the information I got was he was okay. Little did we know how inspirational the effort he pulled out for his teammates was. It’s a pretty significant injury to play through which says a lot about what the team, his teammates and club means to him. They are the things that make players do things that most people can’t.”
Adam Reynolds’ Surprising Return
Despite mixed reports about his injury, Adam Reynolds was named as the skipper in Tuesday afternoon’s team lists. The shock call comes after reports earlier in the day suggested he had failed in a late bid to overcome a groin strain, which was expected to keep him out for 1-2 weeks. Maguire had rated the skipper a “50-50 chance” to feature against the Cowboys, despite initial reports. He said the club would have a better idea about his availability when Reynolds started to run again at training on Tuesday, but it looked as though Reynolds had lost his fitness battle. However, he had another test with a Brisbane trainer later on Tuesday afternoon and was given the all-clear.
Ex-Cowboys halfback Tom Duffy was considered as the captain’s most likely replacement for the match against his former club, and has been named on the extended bench if Reynolds is a late withdrawal. Jesse Arthars has been named to replace Walsh at fullback after filling in at the back in the win over Gold Coast.
Team Adjustments
Winger Josiah Karapani has been recalled to the Broncos starting side after being axed last week over an off-field incident. While young gun hooker Blake Mozer takes over Hunt’s spot on the interchange in Maguire’s reshuffled Broncos side.
