Maguire challenge that got Paix on hook for Broncos

New Brisbane starting hooker Cory Paix has revealed the moment that convinced him he could end a 553-day exile from the NRL.

The 25-year-old will cap a remarkable comeback when he plays No.9 against the Sydney Roosters on Thursday night at Allianz Stadium.

Last year Paix was overlooked by former coach Kevin Walters for the entire season, with Billy Walters, Blake Mozer and Tyson Smoothy ahead of him, and it appeared he may not add to his 44 NRL games.

Now he has usurped Walters for the starting rake spot after new coach Michael Maguire held a pivotal meeting.

"It was when he grabbed all the hookers together as a group and said, 'Look, I don't know who I am going to go with. It's going to come down to you guys. Whoever wants it, put your hands up'," Paix said.

"It was a clean slate for everyone, not just the hookers. It was all on us to have a big pre-season.

"We came back to training in pre-season and for me it was a new lease of life and a fresh start for everyone.

"The easy option for me would have been to leave (last year), but I decided to stay and press towards that No.9 jersey. I just kept persisting."

Paix has trained the house down and starred in the pre-season trials.

Last year the Toowoomba-born hooker was a standout in the Queensland Cup in 20 games, where he scored five tries, set up seven and had a phenomenal 97 per cent tackle efficiency.

A noted hard trainer, Paix said he hadn't changed anything from last season.

"I have still been the same player,'' he said. "I have still done my extras. I have turned up with the same attitude I did last year and it has obviously got me in contention."

So how did he cope last year when he couldn't get in the team, despite doing everything right?

"It was very tough, but I feel like I am a strong person mentally, so that first and foremost got me through that situation," Paix said.

"I had other things going on in my life too that I was really excited about. I finished my apprenticeship as a carpenter that took me nine years, doing one day a week. I'd started that at school.

"I was also in the process of planning my wedding with my partner, so that was a positive thing. I wasn't coming home with negative thoughts. I was just thinking of all the positive things in my life."

Paix, a speedy ball runner and elite defender, said he had learned a lot about game management from former NRL hookers Matt Ballin and Andrew McCullough, who are both on staff at the club.

Now he wants to keep his jersey and hopefully earn a new deal beyond 2025.

"I am pretty confident in my ability to play some footy, and if I do my job that is all the team needs," Paix said.

"If I do that then there shouldn't be any dramas, but I know there are good players here that are nipping at my heels to try and get (their spot) back. I just have to play the game hard and tough."