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With a neck injury to Adam Reynolds and Ezra Mam suspended, the arrival of Ben Hunt could not have come at a better time for Brisbane.
Ben Hunt's return to Brisbane in a period of change and turbulence has proven to be perfect timing for a club seeking professionalism on and off the field.
The 34-year-old playmaker, who clocked up 187 games for the Broncos before joining St George Illawarra, is taking charge at training and will be a vital component in the months ahead, with Ezra Mam suspended and captain Adam Reynolds on light duties for the rest of January after neck surgery.
By the time the trials kick off next month Hunt will have a suite of moves down pat and the players will know exactly what he expects.
The mood around Red Hill is clearly buoyant as all aim to impress new coach Michael Maguire.
The training has a more military feel to it, with the 30-plus players doing exactly what they are told and with a crispness lacking in 2024.
The reality is that the Broncos have gone through a period of massive upheaval after the axing of former coach Kevin Walters following a lamentable season where they finished 12th and got their bottoms spanked 40-6 in the penultimate round by arch rivals the Dolphins.
Until a ball is kicked and wins and losses have been chalked up, it will be impossible to gauge exactly what difference Maguire and his new assistants Ben Te'o and Trent Barrett will make.
The early signs are promising and the sight of Hunt back at Broncos training for the first time since 2017 has given the club direction and stability when they need it most.
Hunt grew up in Central Queensland in a rural setting, and in his breaks has gone home to do hard yakka such as fencing on the family property. It explains partly why he always looks in great shape and why he has a perspective on the game that others lack.
The Queensland and Australia representative has been in just about every conceivable scenario on a rugby league field, and after 334 NRL games his muscle memory is finely tuned.
The Broncos looked like headless chooks at times in 2024, but Hunt will provide the leadership they need.
"Hunty has been really good," Broncos forward Kobe Hetherington said.
"He is a leader and has been unreal for the younger fellas and blokes likes me. He is real good at talking and getting you where you need to go.
"Reyno's only out for a few weeks and he'll be back before round one.
"It's about getting those combinations right, and Hunty has slotted right in there."
Just about every punter with an interest in the NRL has voiced an opinion on the Mam drug-driving saga, but his punishment is now done and dusted and he will train and work on a building site on his days off until he is available for action in round 10.
"His spirits have been good," Hetherington said.
"Everyone is getting around him.
"He is like a brother to me and the rest of the boys.
"I've always got Ezra's back, all of us have. It's really good to have him back."
Hetherington, another straight-shooting Central Queensland product, was also straight to the point in a typically no-nonsense response when asked if the players all felt "on notice" after Mam's punishment.
"Everyone is old enough to know it's the wrong thing to do," he said.
"Everyone knows what's right and wrong. It's on them if they do it."