Former Brisbane Broncos star Karmichael Hunt is weighing up a return to rugby league after not being handed a renewed contract by Super Rugby side the NSW Waratahs, perย The Daily Telegraph.ย
The 34-year-old is understood to be looking into his options with both the NRL and overseas, with the fullback holding plans to head into coaching if a career lifeline isn't attained.
The famous code-hopper said while his future remains uncertain, he is looking into every avenue possible.
โItโs kind of a period of limbo, to be honest, having finished up with the Waratahs officially, a couple of months ago now, uncertain with whatโs going to happen next year,โ Hunt told The Telegraph.
โI understand that my manager is obviously still doing his job, looking for some openings at clubs overseas, trying to field some offers at the clubs in Australia, not just rugby circles, but back in rugby league as well.
โSo itโs limbo, itโs uncertainty. Itโs a whole lot of unknown.
โItโs quite a vulnerable position compared to what Iโm normally used to. And thatโs certainly having a contract and playing football, and when pre-season is starting and I know when I have to be there.
โI donโt have any of that right now. So itโs all up in the air."
Hunt recently moved back to Brisbane with wife Emma, who is expecting to have a fourth child early next year.
โWeโve got our fourth child due in the middle of January, so obviously family always plays a part in the decision," he said.
โIf anything over the last two years itโs been the best type of football that Iโve played in rugby, and some people on social media or on the street say โWeโre big fans from the Broncos daysโ, and they ask, โWhat are you doing with yourself now?โ Iโve literally been playing rugby for the last four to five years.
โAnd theyโre like, โOh, really?โ They think I must have retired. Itโs funny because when youโre out of the bubble, league people probably think that you donโt exist anymore.โ
If Hunt is forced into retirement, his next goal will be to head into coaching, ideally in the NRL.
The former Maroons and Australia star is currently studying psychology in hope of qualifying to be a sports psychologist and help athletes.
โIโve been diligently chipping away at my undergrad, my psych undergrad with USQ (University of South Queensland) over the last four and a half, five years, I'll graduate after semester one next year,โ Hunt said.
โYouโve got to do the honours and then youโve got to specialise in a particular field and Iโd love to head down the track of sports psych.
โMy grades are good enough, theyโre quite competitive at this point in time. Hopefully I can sort of push into that a little bit more seriously.
โAnd the other avenue for me is, I want to give back as a coach and I want to go and do that rugby league.
โSo if it turns out I canโt play professionally, or no worthwhile offer comes to play professionally, Iโm going to have to seriously start thinking about pushing into the next phase of my life, and thatโs coaching and my studies.โ
