Hunt is already ‘on the market’
WALLABY back Karmichael Hunt will return to court in Brisbane on Monday to face drug possession charges amid reports the 31-year-old has already been put on the market in Europe, with a possible return to France now on the cards for the former NRL and AFL player.
The 31-year-old, currently not training with his Super Rugby team the Queensland Reds, has been hit with a trio of charges stemming from an incident in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley on December 30.
One related to possession of cocaine, with the other drug offence possession of the pre- scription medication Xanax, used to treat anxiety disorders. A charge of contravening a police order was added on January 6 after he failed to show at a police station for fingerprint testing.
Hunt’s lawyer Adam Magill has told media the cocaine charged will be dropped, leaving Hunt to deal with the remaining charges on his docket. How he approaches those could have a significant impact on his playing future as speculation swirls his management have sounded out deals in England and France.
Respected UK weekly The Rugby Paper has reported that Hunt was already considered to be ‘on the market’, with Sale Sharks and Worcester Warriors potential destinations if he were to move to the Aviva Premiership.
French clubs Bordeau and Toulouse have also been said to have offers ready for Hunt, who played a season in Biarritz in 2009 after leaving the NRL’s Brisbane Broncos, where he played 125 matches and was regarded as one of the best fullbacks in the code.
All of that would be contingent on Hunt having no conviction recorded against him in an Australian court, a possible scenario should he enter a guilty plea to the lesser charges while avoiding a cocaine charge.