‘You don’t get what you want’: The top NRL talent yet to secure their futures

Broncos hooker Cory Paix has refused to concede his career at Red Hill was over, despite his future remaining insecure beyond the 2025 season.

Parachuted back into Brisbane’s starting side following injuries to Ezra Mam and Adam Reynolds, the 25-year-old expressed his hope again he still had a future at his childhood club.

Paix had the opportunity to walk out on his current deal under former coach Kevin Walters, only to force his way into the team in incoming mentor Michael Maguire’s early days in the top job.

He managed 16-straight appearances before being axed when Ben Hunt, Mam and Reynolds were all fit, before returning after a five-week axing with 32 tackles but not a single run in Saturday night’s triumph of the Dolphins.

The re-signing of Blake Mozer and Reynolds – which will keep Hunt in the No.9 jumper next year – has put Paix’s desire on murky ground, with fellow rake Billy Walters only out of the dummy-half role to accommodate for Mam at five-eighth.

Salary cap restraints will mean he will need to take a pay cut from his reported $300,000 a year deal, but the Toowoomba product insisted he would not give his next move full consideration until the NRL campaign ended in October.

“I feel like the way I’ve been brought up once you sign a deal you honour it. I am really proud of myself for doing that,” Paix said.

“We have some great talent here in the hooking role and I wanted to prove myself and I wanted to be at this great club. I still do, so there’s no place I’d rather be.

“I’ve told everyone before I wanted to be here for life, but sometimes in life you don’t get what you want.”

A move to Sydney appears unlikely for Paix should no room be found for him in Brisbane, with he and his partner expecting their first child soon.

Paix – who will start once again against Newcastle in what will be Ben Hunt’s 350th NRL game – features among a healthy list of NRL talent yet to be signed beyond this year, including fellow Broncos Corey Jensen and Jack Gosiewski.

While Jensen has reportedly been engaged in talks to keep him in Brisbane colours, a fractured collarbone may have ended Gosiewski’s campaign and clouded his future.

He had already missed 10 weeks with a broken arm this season, having unseated Brendan Piakura in the starting back row, at a time which coincided with the death of his father after only losing his mother last year.

“Poor bugger, he’s had a tough run the last couple of years with injury. I told him he needed to start drinking more milk, his bones are a bit fragile,” Paix said.

“It’s a hard run for him, but I think he’ll do his best to get back into some condition and try and finish the year off for us, so we’ll see when he comes back in.”