Cooper Cronk has seen enough of the Adam Reynolds-Ben Hunt halves pairing to know the Broncos shouldn’t break it up when Ezra Mam returns from suspension mid-season.

Reynolds had a linebreak assists and three try assists in the 50-14 win over the Broncos, while his new five-eighth Hunt has 34 run metres, a linebreak, a linebreak assist and a try as the pair sent an ominous warning to the rest of the NRL.

Originally Hunt was brought to the Broncos to play hooker and offer cover for the halves, but Cronk believes Michael Maguire must keep him in the halves in a one-two punch with Reynolds for the rest of the season.

“That combination of Adam Reynolds and Ben Hunt is going to be a very, very good thing,” Cronk said on Matty and Cronk.

“When Ezra Mam comes back I wouldn’t move Ben Hunt. I don’t care what Ezra Mam does from here on out. Ben Hunt is my five-eighth for the rest of the year.

“Number one a cultural piece with what Ezra went through, but number two I think with the talent the Broncos have, Staggs, Cobbo, Walsh, Payne Haas, Carrigan, Adam Reynolds in 2023 got a lot of things right to control that team in terms of the decision making.

“And to be fair he made a couple of decisions at the back end of that grand final that played a part in them losing.

“Now with Ben Hunt at 34 years of age and having done what he has done I like that there is two guys either side of the field that are very good at making decisions, their composure is great, so you can let Walsh out on a rein a little bit, but then one of them can pull him back in on that side.”

There were fears that having two noted halfbacks on the same team could result in their being too many cooks in the kitchen for the Broncos this season.

However, Cronk paid tribute to Hunt’s selflessness in letting Reynolds steer the team and complimenting him beautifully against the Roosters.

“I like what Ben Hunt did,” Cronk explained.

 

“Little down the short side against the Roosters. Three on two executed, so he has gone from being a first receiver halfback dominating for the Dragons and touching the ball a thousand times to basically picking his moments on the left-hand side and complimenting what Adam Reynolds and Reece Walsh have.

“I think it worked very well against the Roosters and it doesn’t matter what Ezra Mam does, Ben Hunt stays there.”

Matty Johns believes having two experienced playmakers is a luxury not many teams in the NRL have in 2025, including the four time defending premiers after Jarome Luai’s departure.

“That’s the thing, if you have one experienced playmaker in your side it is a god send,” Johns said.

“You saw the difference to the Broncos when Adam Reynolds went there. They had that young forward pack that was so good, but didn’t have a steering wheel and then he arrives.

Where that leaves Mam when he returns after his 10-game ban remains to be seen, but Johns still believes he can play a big role in a push for a title, if not in the No.6 jersey every week.

“Ezra is going to give Madge flexibility,” Johns said.

“He can play him at No.14. The other thing he can do as well is one thing about Adam and Ben is they are not spring chickens.

“There is going to be times in the year when they need a break. It is going to give him the ability to just rotate the spine a little bit, which is going to be invaluable.”

The key for Maguire and the Broncos’ title hopes is getting their ageing playmakers through the season and peaking in time for the finals, according to Cronk.

“And they can time their run for the two 34-year-old’s to play their best footy at the back end of the year,” Cronk said.

“That’s the role Ezra Mam would play after what I’ve seen from those halves.”

Johns believes the fact the Broncos looked so polished and dangerous with their short side raids early in the season sends an ominous warning to the rest of the NRL.

“Playing short sides is such an asset for a team,” Johns said.

“You know a side has had a very good off-season not just training, but planning and getting their structure and the science of their game down pat and how they are going to do things, when they play short sides so well.

“Just the subtleties, jumping out to the open and switching back to get rid of the markers.

Hunt has transformed himself from the main man at the Dragons to a complementary role player at the Broncos and Cronk believes Reece Walsh and the Brisbane outside backs like Selwyn Cobbo could be the big beneficiaries in 2025.

“There are little differences between playing halfback and five-eighth,” Cronk explained.

“The halfback has the blinkers on and has the eyes down the field about what he can do running the ball or a short pass.

“When you are a second receiver five-eighth, your eyes are a little bit wider looking at options for the outside.

“What Ben Hunt has brought to his game now is that he can start looking a bit further a field. Looking for Reece, looking for wingers and he’s coming up with plays.”