At Easts Tigers, Pat Carrigan recently praised fellow Brisbane hooker Cameron Bukowski's progress.
Carrigan said, "He's got a huge future at the club and I'm just really happy his hard work has paid off."
Bukowski, 21, played most of 2026 with a broken right wrist, suffered before his round-seven NRL debut against Wests Tigers.
His wrist was strapped; he threw 49 passes, including the one preceding Adam Reynolds' winning field goal.
He later performed strongly for Wynnum Manly in the Queensland Cup before surgery involving a bone graft and pin.
Bukowski attended Brisbane's presentation night in a sling and faces 10 weeks' recovery.
He will then join pre-season, moving from the development list into the top 30 and challenging for the 2027 starting No.9 role.
Five hookers, including Cory Paix, Billy Walters, Blake Mozer and versatile Ben Hunt, will compete after Brisbane's 14th-placed finish.