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Karmichael Hunt might have been cleared to resume playing by Rugby Australia’s integrity unit but when or where it happens remains a big mystery.
Hunt was fined $10,000 and issued a back-dated suspension on Monday by the governing body for his December 30 arrest in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley party precinct.
The 31-year-old met Queensland Rugby Union (QRU) CEO Richard Barker and general manager Sam Cordingley on Wednesday to discuss his future. However, there is no official sign that his “voluntary stand-down” from rugby duties is over.
“Discussions between QRU and Karmichael have begun and are ongoing as we work through the implications of Rugby Australia’s decisions earlier this week,” a QRU spokesperson said.
The Reds are privately hopeful Hunt shifts overseas, having grown tired of his off-field indiscretions.
It’s highly unlikely coach Brad Thorn, in South Africa ahead of this weekend’s Super Rugby clash with the Stormers, will welcome him back to the fold.
Hunt won’t play for the Queensland Premier Rugby side he is aligned to, Norths, in this weekend’s season-opener, and must pass return-to-play protocols and fitness testing before any such comeback at club level.
Norths don’t play again until after Easter, meaning it will be least another fortnight before Hunt returns to the field. But club president Kieran Prideaux suggested they would be open to it.
“This situation’s arrived through not the best means, but he’s been to our trophy days, little school-holiday coaching clinics … he’s been completely the opposite of the way he gets portrayed sometimes,” Prideaux told AAP.
“The Reds haven’t given real clear definitive anything. It’s basically been handballed to a community rugby club to say, ‘you guys are in the firing line’.
“It’s pretty confusing to me. He’s not one of my staff.
“We take the personality out of it … whether it’s a kid in under-20s or a guy in third grade, if they’ve got issues, we try to help them.
“We’re not the judge and jury in this situation.”
Hunt’s manager David Riolo did not want to talk about his client’s future when contacted by AAP, but he was rumoured to be engineering a move to Europe.
Quade Cooper, who had trained with Hunt in recent months, with the two banished from Ballymore for different reasons, said he was in a good headspace.
“I’m sure that whenever he’s able to, he’d love to be able to get back on the field,” Cooper said.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.