KARMICHAEL Hunt remains a required player, according to the Gold Coast Suns, as it moves to dampen speculation the 27-year-old plans to return to rugby league with the Brisbane Broncos within a fortnight.

Hunt is tied to the Suns until the end of 2014 after extending his contract with the club in March 2012 but media reports on the weekend said he was on the verge of leaving the AFL to join the Broncos.

However a club spokesperson told the Gold Coast website on Sunday it expected him to fulfil the terms of that agreement.

"Karmichael is contracted to the Gold Coast Suns for the 2014 season.  At this point his pure focus, and that of the coaches', is on working really hard during pre-season to prepare himself for next year.

"Karmichael had an injury interrupted season in 2013 and we are excited about the role he can play for the team next year with a full pre-season under his belt."

The club spokesperson said discussions on Hunt's future post-2014 would "take place in due course" but there had been no talks yet.

Hunt, a former NRL star who also played rugby union in France, has played 43 games with the Gold Coast after making his debut in 2011 and shown his capacity to play the game.

Hamstring tendonitis derailed his season in 2013 and he appears to face a fight to win a spot in the 2014 team as the club's group of young stars begin to emerge.

Hunt played in just nine games in 2013 and has only played in six wins with the club.

The big-bodied midfielder has acted as a battering ram as players such as Jaeger O'Meara, Dion Prestia and Harley Bennell found their feet.

If Hunt departed the club post-Christmas it would be a blow to the Suns who had little choice but to sack rugged forward Campbell Brown when he broke teammate Steven May's jaw during an altercation on a night out in Los Angeles after the club's training camp in Arizona.

Both Hunt and Brown have proven important players as the club developed a raw bunch of youngsters.

Hunt kicked a winning goal after the siren in 2012 to help the Suns defeat Richmond in Cairns.  

Hunt's manager is reportedly overseas and AFL.com.au has been unable to make contact with him.