Ben Hunt is going home to Brisbane after inking a two-year deal with the club where he has 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 skipper went close to winning the 2015 grand final with Brisbane, a decider that finished in golden-point heartbreak against North Queensland.
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 Australia 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.
"To be able to finish my career at the Broncos is something that I never thought I’d have the opportunity to do and I’ll cherish it," Hunt said.
"I've been away for seven years but I've watched every single Broncos game since.
"I never thought this would happen.The chance now to head back and chase that premiership together is a dream come true."
Hunt was recruited to the Broncos as a 13-year-old by legendary talent scout Cyril Connell and came through the U20s 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 he has always conducted himself.
The partnership between Hunt and Reynolds in the halves will give Brisbane 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 for the Broncos.
Regular five-eighth Ezra Mam is expected to be suspended by the NRL for the initial months of next season after he was charged with drug driving.
That will give Brisbane time to fine tune the Hunt and Reynolds combination in the halves.
They also have teenager Coby Black, Jock Madden and Josh Rogers as back up. Black, highly rated, is yet to play in the NRL while Madden and Rogers are yet to prove they are more than stop-gap options in the top grade.
Hunt will also give the Broncos cover for 2026 should Reynolds retire at the end of next year, as expected.
The Brisbane captain said he would delay any decision on his future.
"I don't know. We'll see how the body's feeling halfway through the year," he said.
