Broncos turn to rookie hooker
The Broncos have unearthed a dynamite dummy-half who has been compared to Kangaroos and NSW Origin star Damien Cook.
The Broncos have unearthed a dynamite dummy-half who has been compared to Kangaroos and NSW Origin star Damien Cook.
Broncos coach Anthony Seibold will hand Cory Paix his NRL debut in Thursday night’s daunting showdown against the Sydney Roosters at Suncorp Stadium.
Paix, 20, will be thrust into a first grade baptism of fire, with regular hooker Jake Turpin battling a knee injury. The Broncos have developed Paix from a Queensland junior playmaker into a long-term No 9 and utility prospect.
And with the NRL’s new six-again ruck rule transforming the game overnight, former Souths coach Seibold believes Paix’s similarity to Rabbitohs star Cook will help him on the big stage.
“He is quick and the new rule changes will suit him,” Seibold said. “He reminds me a lot of Damien Cook’s skill-set out of dummy-half. That’s why I really like him.”
The Broncos offloaded club stalwart Andrew McCullough to Newcastle a week ago because they were comfortable with the dummy-half depth Paix provided.
Ironically, they have been forced to call Paix up almost immediately with Turpin fighting to avoid being sidelined long term.
Paix spent Tuesday’s entire training session at dummy-half preparing for his NRL initiation against the back-to-back premiers.
The Broncos trained behind closed doors at Suncorp Stadium on Wednesday, but Paix is expected to get the nod for his NRL debut.
Turpin faces four to six weeks sidelined in another crippling blow to Brisbane’s playing stocks after injuries to Alex Glenn (calf), Jack Bird (ACL) and David Fifita (knee) and the suspension of Tevita Pangai Jr and Kotoni Staggs.
Brisbane’s engine room of Tom Flegler, Payne Haas and Paix is officially the youngest front row in the Broncos’ 872-game history.
The 20-year-old trio are collectively 375 days, or more than a year, younger than the greenhorn engine-room of Dunamis Lui, Glenn and Mitchell Dodds which faced Cronulla 10 years ago.
Roosters playmaker Luke Keary has put the Broncos on notice, saying Jared Waerea-Hargreaves would spearhead a domination of Brisbane’s pack.
Carrigan scoffed at suggestions Waerea-Hargreaves would monster the Broncos.
“There’s no sugar-coating it, we have to go toe-to-toe with them,” Carrigan said. “There will be some fireworks even without the crowd.
“If you back yourself and you believe, you lick your lips at any pack you face. I have a lot of respect for Jared, he has been doing it for years … But we won’t be giving him a free pass.”
The Courier-Mail
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