By Nick Wright
Tyson Smoothy will step into the NRL furnace for the first time since 2021, with Brisbane Broncos coach Kevin Walters pulling a late selection shock ahead of Saturday’s clash with Newcastle.
Smoothy comes onto the bench at the expense of Cory Paix, who will line up in the Queensland Cup for Souths Logan Magpies and work in tandem with promising rookie Blake Mozer.
Cory Paix will line up in the Queensland Cup this weekend. Credit: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images
Paix’ axing was not triggered by poor form, Walters said, but a lack of playing time at dummy-half while replacing Billy Walters – who plays his 50th game against the Knights – off the interchange.
“Paixy just hasn’t been getting enough game time so we’ve put him in Queensland Cup. He’ll get some good minutes there and work on his game,” Walters said.
“Tyson has been playing some good footy in the Cup, so he gets his opportunity.
“[Paix] needs to get his minutes up, he’s got a few little things there to work on, but it’s more him playing some footy.
“He only played 15 or 20 minutes in the last couple of weeks, which is not really enough in that position to develop your game, which is what we’re about here.
“It won’t be a long period, he’s just got some things there he’s got to work on. He wants to get better, the only way for that to happen for him was to go back to Cup.
“Whilst he would prefer to be playing in the NRL, he understands what’s best for him and the club is to go back and start working on his game in Queensland Cup.”
Smoothy’s Broncos debut highlights the logjam of hooker options for Walters, with four rakes vying for a shot at cementing the job.
Mozer has been touted for big things ever since his schoolboy days with Keebra Park, and he showcased his growth with an emphatic display against the Burleigh Bears last week.
Billy Walters, who plays his 50th NRL game on Saturday, is one of four hookers on the Broncos’ books.Credit: Getty
The wunderkind crossed for two tries and finished with a try assist, two linebreaks, four tackle busts and 26 tackles in a victorious top-of-the-table clash for Souths Logan.
Walters confirmed Mozer would get the chance to impress among the elite in the near future, likely within the next 12 months, however denied the club had too many hookers on its books.
He said Magpies coach and Broncos legend Karmichael Hunt would be given the licence to determine how Paix and Mozer would be utilised, despite Mozer starting in all but one game this year.
“He will [get his chance], he’s on a good pathway projection there at the moment at Souths so he’s another good one that we’ve got in the ranks we’re just trying to slowly drip-feed through to the NRL,” Walters said of Mozer.
“Not everyone can play first grade, the idea is to have good depth in those positions. You can’t play everyone, it’s competition.
“That’s what I feel is best for us this year; we’ve got good depth across all positions and that brings on good competition.”
