Ben Hunt's return to the NRL is imminent, following a hamstring injury which has sidelined him since round ten.
The 35-year-old was given every chance to line up for the Broncos this week against the Bulldogs, however, decision makers in Red Hill were reluctant to risk further damage.
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In his pre-game media scrum, Michael Maguire spoke to the status of the injury and clarified the reasons as to why Hunt has been left out of the team in round 18.
"It’s a real tricky one with Hunty, he was close [to playing in Round 18] but I guess with a hamstring, I’m not going to take a risk, especially with a player of his stature," he said.
"He trained earlier in the week and we thought there was going to be a positive sign, but we just don’t want to take that risk.
"We’ll leave it for next week now."
What position will Ben Hunt play for the Broncos?
Hunt's return begs the question of what position he will play, given the strong form that Ezra Mam and Adam Reynolds have been in over the past few weeks.
The complication lies in the fact that Mam was suspended the last time Hunt was healthy, so there was no need for Maguire to engage in a game of musical chairs with his spine, as he's being asked to do now.
A move to hooker for Hunt – the position he has played for Queensland in State of Origin – is logical.
This would relegate the incumbent dummy half Cory Paix to the bench, and would likely mean Billy Walters drops back to Queensland cup.
The Broncos play their in-state rivals, the Titans in Round 19, which will definitively answer where Hunt will play heading into finals footy.