Cowboys sign Hannant for 2015

North Queensland have snuck under the radar to sign former Queensland Origin forward Ben Hannant from the Brisbane Broncos.

The Cowboys on Tuesday announced they have picked up the 29-year-old front-rower on a one-year deal which further stiffens their top-class pack that features fellow international props Matt Scott and James Tamou.

Largely a bench player for Brisbane this season, Hannant’s departure from Red Hill is not unexpected but the Gold Coast resident had been heavily linked to a move to the Titans.

“I’m really looking forward to the opportunities that playing with the Cowboys will present,” Hannant said in a Cowboys statement.

“They have a high calibre roster looking to take the next step and it’s going to be great to be able to train and play with the likes of JT (Johnathan Thurston) and Matt Scott who I know really well from Origin.”

Hannant, who has also played for the Sydney Roosters and Canterbury, has played 192 NRL matches since debuting in 2005.

He won a premiership with the Broncos in 2006 and has played 12 Origin matches for Queensland and six Tests for Australia.

Cowboys football manager Peter Parr hailed Hannant as another significant asset for 2015.

“Ben is a quality forward who brings plenty of top-level experience to our club,” Parr said.

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