Brisbane hooker Cory Paix has all the tools of the trade on and off the field to be a huge success, but right now he has a baby on the way and his contract status is in limbo.
The 25-year-old carpenter will start at No.9 away to Newcastle on Sunday as the best rake in the NRL still without a deal for 2026.
The door is not shut at the Broncos. Coach Michael Maguire would like to keep Paix, but salary-cap space is tight and there is no offer on the table.
There was a glimpse of an opportunity at North Queensland, but that closed when Canterbury's Reed Mahoney signed for next year.
The Dolphins and Gold Coast have no spots available, and with his partner expecting a child soon, Sydney and Super League are not options.
"Nothing to report on just yet," Paix said when asked about his next contract.
"My manager's working tirelessly around all that, and that stuff will sort itself out in October.
"I've put my sole focus into looking after my wife during this process, and I've got to say it's been pretty smooth from my end."
Staying at the Broncos for 2026 is still his hope.
"Absolutely. I wanted to be here for life, but sometimes in life you don't get what you want," Paix said.
"My sole focus is playing my brand of footy to help suit the team and get us across the line."
Paix could have left the club last year and taken up an opportunity elsewhere, but has no regrets about staying and fighting to get his spot back.
"The way I've been brought up, once you sign a deal you honour it. I am really proud of myself for doing that," he said.
"I wanted to prove myself and I wanted to be at this great club. I still do. There's no place I'd rather be."
Paix was out of the team for a month when Ben Hunt switched to hooker, but with Hunt now at No.7 he received a lifeline in last week's 38-28 win over the Dolphins.
The sixth-placed Broncos have won nine of the 12 games when Paix has started, where his 97 per cent tackle efficiency has tightened the middle defence.
His mental strength is a forte and why he was able to cope with being left out.
"I've been in that position plenty of times before, so I knew what was in front of me. I had to go away and work hard," Paix said.
"It was nice to put the jersey back on again. It's always special.
"We've got so much in front of us and we just want to put in a really good performance down in Newcastle."
Paix is fully ticketed as a carpenter and still works on his days off.
"I've been doing it for 10 years and I'm really proud I've stuck at it. A day off for me is unheard of," he said.
"I like getting out to the work site and networking with people and helping myself improve in that space, because footy doesn't last forever."