Broncos hooker still holds hope for 2026 contract offer
"I would love to be a Bronco for life but sometimes in life you don't always get what you want," the 25-year-old said.Paix is the only Broncos hooker in the top-30 squad without a deal for 2026.
Veteran Billy Walters is contracted until the end of next year, young gun Blake Mozer secured an extension through until the end of 2027, although the club is yet to announce it, and Tyson Smoothy will join Wakefield Trinity on a three-year deal from 2026.
Mozer's management has met with Brisbane in the past week and the club has made it clear they want to keep him, but so far no offer has been tabled.
Paix returns to the starting side away against Manly on Saturday night. He started in the opening six rounds of the competition and has played the last five off the interchange bench.
"I need to go out and play some good footy first before I get a contract. That's at the forefront this weekend," he said.
Paix wants to stay at a club that "means the world" to him.
"I came here straight out of school and even during school I was part of the junior academy," he said.
"I have got my family close by and obviously the Broncos have spent a lot of time on me developing me into the person and player I am. Brissie is home to me."
The Broncos have won four games when Paix started this season and only one when he hasn't. He said he was "super excited" to be back in the No.9 jersey.
"My job doesn't change too much," he said.
"I spoke with Madge (coach Michael Maguire) and worked on a few things in key areas he thought I could get better at. I thought I went away and done that. Now it is time for me to step up. We haven't been getting the results lately."
The Broncos have lost five of their past six matches and it is second half collapses that have let them down.
"If we can fix up little minor things that we have identified then I think we will give ourselves enough energy at the back end of games to really compete and go after it," Paix said.
Brisbane have won just twice at Brookvale Oval in the last 33 years.
The Broncos have not played away against Manly since 2014 due to an agreement from the Sea Eagles to host their "home" game at Suncorp Stadium during Magic Round.
Brisbane's last victory at Manly was in 2010, a 22-6 win when Darren Lockyer was captain of the club.
In 16 games at the venue since 1988 the Sea Eagles hold a 10-5 advantage with one drawn.
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Sydney Morning Herald
4 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Roosters leapfrog Sea Eagles on NRL ladder after gritty win
Loading Latest posts Report: Roosters' season has a pulse with vital win over Manly The Sydney Roosters' NRL season has a pulse after Sam Walker inspired a 20-4 defeat of Manly that puts a big dent in the Sea Eagles' finals hopes. The Roosters could've all but kissed their top-eight dream goodbye with a loss at wet and wild Brookvale Oval on Saturday night, having dropped three of their previous four matches. But in a duel against Manly veteran Daly Cherry-Evans, his probable halves partner next year, No.7 Walker breathed life into his side's season by playing a hand in all three Roosters tries. Captain courageous James Tedesco set the tone for the Roosters' best defensive performance of the year with two try-saving tackles on the right edge while the game was in the balance. The Roosters have now leapfrogged Manly into ninth on the ladder, a win out of the top eight and seemingly locked in a three-way battle with the Sea Eagles and Dolphins for eighth place. The loss may come back to haunt Manly given it keeps their rivals in the hunt and leaves them likely needing to win at least two of their tough clashes against the Dolphins, Warriors and Canberra. Manly enjoyed the bulk of early chances but had only one try to show for it as Tom Trbojevic, playing fullback during Lehi Hopoate's head injury assessment, swung left to put Tolu Koula over. Hopoate returned but was shifted to the wing late in the game with Trbojevic slotting into fullback after weeks of debate as to how Manly should best use the former Dally M Medallist. Terrible conditions played their part as Trbojevic spilt the ball into the hands of Queensland star Robert Toia, whose charge upfield swung momentum dramatically into the Roosters' favour. On the back of that Toia line break late in the first half, Walker found Billy Smith with a grubber kick for the Roosters' first try and the visitors were over again in the next set. Tedesco belted through the middle past Jake Trbojevic and Tof Sipley and found Walker, who slipped over but regained his footing and kicked left to a diving Daniel Tupou. Loading The veteran winger managed an offload for Angus Crichton to score one of the season's great team tries. It was a three-score game when a Walker kick was allowed to bounce into the arms of Egan Butcher at close range early in the second half. Manly's Ben Trbojevic suffered a game-ending concussion when clashing heads with teammate Luke Brooks, playing his 250th game. He will miss next week's clash with ladder-leading Canberra and could be joined on the sidelines by Jake Simpkin after the back-up hooker left for a late head injury assessment following a tackle on Siua Wong. AAP yesterday 9.29pm Roosters keep their season alive This is a huge result for the Roosters. By beating Manly, they also leapfrog them into ninth spot on the ladder. Their play-off hopes remain alive. There were two critical factors behind the outcome; Sam Walker's kicking game and the Roosters defence. It's all about playing to the conditions and Trent Robinson's men did just that. They actually had to do more defence in their red zone, but only let in the one try. And while they had less opportunities, the visitors took the ones presented to them. Walker had a hand - or foot - in all three tries. After outpointing Daly Cherry-Evans, the expectation is that they will pair up in the halves next year. Full-time: Roosters 20 defeat Sea Eagles 4 And that's the full-time siren. Great performance from the Roosters, they were the much better team after withstanding an early onslaught. The race for those last couple of spots in the eight remains wide open. yesterday 9.21pm What does a DCE-Walker combo look like next year? With the game seemingly out of Manly's reach, we turn our attention to some of the key takeaways from the action we have seen so far. Sam Walker has been the best player on the field, a masterclass in just his fourth game back from injury. While there is no official announcement, we are all expecting that Daly Cherry-Evans will join him at the Roosters scrumbase. Who will be the dominant half? Will the pair gel as well as Hugo Savala is with Walker at the moment? yesterday 9.08pm Roosters defence has been superb As expected given the conditions, there has been a slew of errors as fatigue sets in. The big difference between the teams has been the defence. I've already mentioned the try-savers from James Tedesco, but the line speed of the Roosters has been outstanding. A lot of the Manly errors are the result of having the defence sprint off the line and apply pressure. The game is getting sloppy as we head into the last 15 minutes. yesterday 8.54pm Roosters score again to break game open In just his fourth game but from injury, Sam Walker has produced another try assist. The Sea Eagles couldn't defuse his bomb - Mark Nawaqanitawase came up with the tap-back - and Egan Butcher has come up with the spoils. Walker converts and this has now become a massive assignment for Manly. Roosters lead 20-4 after 13 minutes. yesterday 8.51pm Roosters go further in front The Roosters have been gifted another penalty, this time from right in front of the posts. Sam Walker elected to kick for goal and made no mistake. I reckon that's the right call in these conditions, which have deteriorated since the second half began. There are now big puddles in parts of the field. I reckon we are going to see a lot of dropped ball. We've just had an official crowd number, 12,478. Every one of them deserves a medal for coming out in this weather. Here's the most important number. yesterday 8.44pm Second half is under way The rain has just started to come down again just as play resumed. In fact, it has just become hail. Poor start from Manly, who have conceded an early penalty. I feel so sorry for the punters on the hill, they are totally exposed. There's even talk of lightning nearby. yesterday 8.34pm Incredible late turnaround from the Roosters You look at the numbers, and the Roosters have no right to be leading at half-time. The Sea Eagles were leading just about every stat at the 30-minute mark, but had only one try to show for all of their advantages. And then it was all the Roosters in the last 10 minutes, who just about evened up possession (49 per cent) by the time they went into the sheds. James Tedesco produced a couple of try-savers on his line that could prove crucial. And then there was that Angus Crichton try, as good as anything you could hope to witness in wet conditions. Manly will now have to run into a very stiff breeze if they are to win this. Both teams have their season on the line, a big 40 minutes coming up. yesterday 8.28pm Half-time: Roosters lead Manly 12-4 The half-time buzzer has sounded, just as the rain begins coming down sideways. It was also a downpour of points late in the half late from the Roosters, who scored two late tries.
ABC News
7 hours ago
- ABC News
Wallabies beat Lions but are left to reflect on what could've been
Winning a dead rubber in sport can produce a range of feelings. Such a victory can boost morale, while providing relief from the humiliation of another defeat. Conversely, they can also act as a reminder of what could've been. For the Wallabies, in their three-Test series against the British and Irish Lions, it should be the latter. While the 22-12 triumph over the British and Lions in the third and final Test in Sydney meant they avoided a series whitewash, the result will also make them reflect on missed opportunities. The Wallabies offered up a meek performance in the first Test, which they lost 27-19 in Brisbane. They were dominated in the collisions on both sides of the ball and sorely missed the physicality of injured forwards Rob Valetini and Will Skelton. At one stage, the Wallabies trailed 24-5 and only added respectability to the scoreline after the Lions effectively put the cue in the rack, knowing their opponents were already beaten. The shoe was on the other foot the following week in Melbourne, with the Wallabies producing a largely clinical display in the opening 30 minutes to establish a 23-5 lead. As much as the Jac Morgan-Carlo Tizzano incident in the final minute of play was cited as the trigger for the Wallabies' downfall, the failure to protect their scoreboard advantage underpinned the 29-26 defeat to the Lions at the MCG. It wasn't a skill deficiency or poor match fitness that allowed the Lions back into the contest, rather the Wallabies' lack of confidence as a squad conspired against them. They didn't appear to have the self-belief required to put the Lions to the sword. The second Test loss isn't an isolated event in this regard, as the Wallabies have coughed up sizeable leads during their barren Bledisloe Cup run since handing over the silverware to the All Blacks in 2003. If the Wallabies are to become a World Cup contender again, they must rediscover the ability to land the knockout punch when they have teams on the ropes. Player depth is another concern, although to coach Joe Schmidt's credit he's made an effort to address the issue, having handed 19 players Test debuts in 2024. But world-class depth is elusive at this stage, as the Lions series illustrated. Yes, there are positions where it could be argued the Wallabies go at least two deep in terms of Test-standard players, such as openside flanker, where Fraser McReight and Tizzano are available. But the Wallabies' options are limited in other positions, most notably fly-half. Tom Lynagh showed potential against the Lions, but he wasn't in the same class as Finn Russell, who expertly steered the tourists' attack wearing the 10 jersey. The Wallabies next face the two-time defending world champion Springboks in back-to-back Rugby Championship Tests in South Africa, beginning in a fortnight. Where Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii is selected may be of interest, as there is debate about whether the ex-Sydney Rooster should be shifted from outside centre to wing. If Suaalii's moves out one spot, Hunter Paisami may be recalled to the midfield, allowing Len Ikitau to return to his preferred position at outside centre. Would Schmidt consider a left-field option such as using Ikitau's Brumbies teammate David Feliuai at inside centre, given their effectiveness as a combination in Super Rugby Pacific? Perhaps that would be throwing caution to the wind, but the Rugby Championship does give Schmidt the opportunity to look at fresh faces across some positions. It would be a shock if the likes of the uncapped Ryan Lonergan and Joe Brial aren't on his radar when it comes to naming his wider squad. Bob Dwyer famously used the Wallabies' 2-1 series loss to the Lions in 1989 to take stock of what his squad lacked two years out from a World Cup. Realising there were players not — or no longer — of Test quality, he ushered in eight debutants in the Wallabies' next two internationals against the All Blacks and France, including 1991 World Cup heroes Tony Daly, Phil Kearns, Rod McCall, Tim Horan and Jason Little. Schmidt, who will be replaced in his role by Les Kiss next year, isn't expected to participate in any bloodletting. But like Dwyer did 36 years ago, he needs to assess whether the current squad is comprised of players that will be a chance of lifting the Webb Ellis Cup when Australia hosts the World Cup in 2027. The Lions series won't just provide lessons for the Wallabies, as Australian rugby as a whole needs to learn how it can improve. There must be takeaways for the semi-professional and grassroot levels of the game, which will hopefully benefit from the financial windfall the cash-strapped Rugby Australia will enjoy from the tour. During his career, World Cup-winning All Blacks coach Graham Henry spoke several times of the transformative nature of the Lions' visit to New Zealand in 1971. The Lions, coached by Welshman Carwyn James, won the four-Test series against the All Blacks, with Henry describing the tour as "very influential on New Zealand rugby". "I think the '71 Lions won the first World Cup (in 1987) for us because we had to change our game," Henry said in 2005. "That shook the foundations of New Zealand rugby and from the top down things changed." Time will tell what impact the 2025 Lions will have on Australian rugby. But it would be hoped their defeat of the Wallabies can inspire young coaches and players locally in similar way to what Henry experienced.
7NEWS
8 hours ago
- 7NEWS
Collingwood recruit Dan Houston in the gun for two crucial errors in loss to Brisbane
Collingwood recruit Dan Houston gave away two crucial free kicks as Brisbane defeated the Magpies by 27 points in a classic at the MCG. In a match was fitting of a final, the Lions had all the answers to boost their top-two hopes with three matches left in the season. While Brisbane fully deserved the victory, Houston had a night to forget. After having just three touches in the first half, the gun defender gave away a crucial high tackle free kick to Zac Bailey in the shadows of three-quarter time. Bailey converted to push the margin out to 19 points at the final change. During a tense final term and the margin still hovering out 20 points, Houston was again at fault, this time tackle Logan Morris high in the pocket. Houston was furious with the decision and argued with the umpire as he watched a replay on the big screen. The young forward finished expertly for his sixth of the night to land the knockout blow. Houston, a two-time All-Australian, has failed to reach those lofty heights since joining the Pies from Port Adelaide in the off-season. While Morris will grab the headlines for his incredible six-goal haul, the midfield quartet of Hugh McCluggage, Josh Dunkley, Will Ashcroft and Lachie Neale were outstanding. Young forward Henry Smith also bobbed up with three crucial goals in the first half.
