Reds join the Hunt for League 'centre'
Fri, 18 Jul 2008 15:09
The Reds are set to gauge Australian Rugby League star Karmichael Hunt's interest in swapping to Rugby Union before adding their name to his growing list of suitors.
The Reds on Friday confirmed they were eager to lure Hunt to Ballymore if the Queensland League fullback has a genuine desire in returning to Rugby Union.
The Reds had listed the Broncos star in their planning for the 2010 Super 14 before National Rugby League's (NRL) interest in his services came to a climax this week.
Hunt, who played Rugby Union throughout high school at Brisbane's Anglican Church Grammar School, has said he'd be "stupid" not to consider all his options when his Brisbane contract expires next year.
The battling Reds see the versatile 21-year-old best suited at either inside or outside centre.
Hunt is good friends with Wallabies Lote Tuqiri and Berrick Barnes, who he played rugby against before they both signed with the Broncos.
Queensland Rugby Union's (QRU) high performance manager Ben Whitaker said Hunt's Union history, playing at the same school that produced centre Quade Cooper, enhanced the attraction.
"He's someone we've listed as a player who could fill a role at the Reds," Whitaker told the Sydney Morning Herald.
"His ability to play No.13 definitely suits our needs, particularly if Morgan Turinui doesn't re-sign.
"We've got to be proactive and we definitely are but at the same time, you want to see some genuine desire by the player to have a look as well and that definitely is more attractive to us than someone you have to chase," he added.
Hunt could command more money in rugby union, as shown by the deals Ryan Cross and Timana Tahu signed in the past two years.
Like the Reds, the Australian Rugby Union (ARU) will be careful not to be used by players to help bump up their asking price.
"He's a good footballer. We all know that and he's played rugby," said new ARU high-performance manager Nucifora.
"If he showed some genuine interest and wanted to come and talk to us then at the appropriate time we'd have a chat with him to gauge his intentions."
Queensland have made an offer to former Wallabies vice-captain Turinui, who has been overlooked for ARU top-up money and will decide in the next fortnight whether he will follow up a bigger deal overseas.
