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Ben Hunt is coming home to the Brisbane Broncos after signing a two-year deal with the club where he played most of his career.
The 34-year-old made his decision on Tuesday, choosing the club where he played 187 of his 334 NRL games, instead of the Sydney Roosters or Dolphins.
Hunt will partner with Broncos captain Adam Reynolds in the halves and will also provide the versatility of playing hooker as well.
The former St George Illawarra captain went close to winning the 2015 grand final with the Broncos, a decider that finished in heartbreak in a golden-point loss to North Queensland.
Hunt lays on the ground after the devastating loss to the Cowboys in the 2015 NRL grand final. (Getty Images: Mark Kolbe)
AAP has been told it was a difficult decision for Hunt to make with regards to his future. As late as Monday he had not made up his mind.
For Hunt there is a sense of "unfinished business" at the Broncos.
In the Australian camp earlier this month, Hunt said returning to Brisbane was a romantic notion he would relish. It was a dream he had not been able to realise, until now.
Hunt was recruited to the Broncos as a 12-year-old by legendary talent scout Cyril Connell and came through the under-20s program before making his debut in 2009.
The Queensland star contacted Roosters coach Trent Robinson and Dolphins coach Kristian Woolf on Tuesday to let them know he would not be coming. It was his own initiative and in keeping with the decorum and honesty with which has has always conducted himself.
The partnership between Hunt and Reynolds in the halves will give the Broncos creativity and organisation on both sides of the field.
Reynolds said on Monday he was relishing the prospect of playing alongside Hunt.
"Ben's a great player, with what he brings to the football field. He's a leader off the football field as well, which is super important in any organisation," he said.
"He's an X factor and among some of the game's greats, and obviously it would be a big benefit to get him here to the club."
That benefit is now a tangible one, and new coach Michael Maguire will be licking his lips about the prospect of Hunt igniting a return to finals.
AAP