Parker: Ben Hunt should seriously consider retiring

I've been tossing and turning a little bit on this one and I say the following with the utmost respect.

I want to go down, the path with Ben Hunt and whether he should be playing on or calling time.

He is a wonderful player, has done absolutely everything in the game; 369 matches in the NRL, 15 Tests for his country and 20 Origin matches.

That is an incredible achievement.

Losing the premiership in 2015 caused a lot of angst in him, he had a lot of demons but he came back to the Brisbane Broncos to win a premiership and they did it 10 years on.

He was able to lift the holy grail and put an exclamation mark on what has been an unbelievable career.

He has been offered a contract from the Brisbane Broncos, which he's taken up. Do I blame the club for this one?

I probably do.

I've said that for Ben, if there's an offer on the table and he still feels as though he wants to go on, he's probably gonna take that. But if there was no offer, do you think Ben would go and play anywhere else?

I don't think so.

My concern is this; Ben is a great friend of mine, he's been a wonderful teammate, and I've loved every moment I've played with him, I am just concerned about the legacy that he leaves,

We all know Ben and, and we all love Ben.

You go back to the Origin, the winning moment at Suncorp Stadium. An unbelievable moment at Suncorp Stadium and he's had many throughout his career.

So I would hate to see the last six weeks of the competition this season, if things don't go to plan, and he leaves the game with a a sour taste in people's mouths.

People have really short memories; they don't remember what you did for the first 18 years that you played in.

They just remember the last 12 months and it's not fair.

Ben still has an opportunity, if he would like to, to walk away and retire this year.

It pains me to say it, and I say it so respectfully, but, we're in the job where we need to have an opinion and we need to say what we feel.

I just would hate to see his legacy as a player, as a person, be tarnished because of that slippery slope that Father Time can provide.