Hymel Hunt, a former NRL winger and centre has returned to the rugby league field after being released by the Newcastle Knights at the end of last season.

Failing to receive a contract extension, Hunt left the Knights at the end of last season with 113 first-grade career appearances and 34 career tries.

He has now since returned to the field for the Ryde-Eastwood Hawks in the Ron Massey Cup.

The Hawks are affiliated with the Wests Tigers, meaning he could play for the Western Suburbs Magpies later this season in the NSW Cup.

Born in Auckland, New Zealand, Hunt moved to Queensland playing his junior football with the Redcliffe Dolphins before being signed by the Gold Coast Titans.

Throughout his career, the 30-year-old played for the Gold Coast Titans (2013), Melbourne Storm (2015) and South Sydney Rabbitohs (2016-18) before spending the most amount of his career with the Newcastle Knights (2019-23).

Late in his NRL career, Hunt was plagued by injuries. In recent years, he was overtaken in the Knights' pecking order by Dominic Young, Greg Marzhew, and Enari Tuala.

GOLD COAST, AUSTRALIA - JUNE 08: Hymel Hunt of the Rabbitohs runs the ball during the round 14 NRL match between the Gold Coast Titans and the South Sydney Rabbitohs at Cbus Super Stadium on June 8, 2018 in Gold Coast, Australia. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)