‘Lucid as Dustin Hoffman in Rain Man’: Paix faces D-day
Joel Gould |
Brisbane hooker Cory Paix will meet with an independent neurosurgeon to determine whether he can play against Wests Tigers as his club deals with an injury crisis.
The scheduled Wednesday appointment for Paix will have major repercussions for the Broncos who already have nine players, including three hookers, unavailable due to injury or suspension for Saturday night’s away clash in Campbelltown.
Young gun hooker Cameron Bukowski was named at No.20 in the extended squad. The 20-year-old still has a chance to be a late call-up to the 19 whether Paix, listed at No.21, is ruled out or not.
Paix will start at hooker if cleared.
Brisbane have challenged the category one concussion, ruled by the NRL’s independent doctor, that forced 2025 grand final hero Paix off the field in the second half of the 35-31 loss to North Queensland on Friday night.
The category one ruled him out of the Tigers clash.
Brisbane insist Paix, who tripped over his own feet and stumbled after contact, should have been handed a category two.
He passed his HIA test in the dressing room and has since been cleared by the Broncos doctor.
One source close to the saga told AAP: “Cory was as lucid as Dustin Hoffman in Rain Man when he listed the Qantas flight timetables.”
Hoffman’s autistic character in the film was known for his extraordinary feats of memory.
After the Cowboys match, coach Michael Maguire said Paix was ready to resume hostilities after passing his test.
“Cory ran off and was ready to run back out again. I don’t quite understand that one, but that was the call from external,” Maguire said.
“So I’ll go through the right channels here with the doctors and review it but talking to Paix, he can’t believe it himself.”
Paix trained strongly with the Broncos on Monday and his manager Paul Hogan spoke to him on Tuesday. Hogan said he wouldn’t be pushing for Paix to play unless he believed he was fit to do so.
“I have just spoken to Cory and he is as good as gold,” Hogan told AAP.
“He passed his HIA on the night. I didn’t think there was any doubt about it. If we thought it was a category one we wouldn’t want him playing.”
Adding to the intrigue is the fact the Tigers, joint competition leaders, have never beaten the Broncos in Campbelltown as a joint venture.
The two sides have played nine times at the venue. A 24-all draw in the first meeting in 2000 has been following by the Broncos winning the next eight games.
A further coal on the fire is the fact Maguire coached the Tigers in an unhappy time for the club and would relish a win to keep Brisbane’s stellar 26-year unbeaten record at Campbelltown intact.
AAP