If Sam Thaiday is making Wayne Bennett think twice about letting him go, the poker-faced Brisbane coach is hiding it well.
Veteran Queensland back-rower Thaiday is proving invaluable for the Broncos after emerging as their Mr Fix-It ahead of the NRL finals.
The 32-year-old will slot into the front row in Thursday night's NRL regular season finale with North Queensland, replacing form prop Korbin Sims (broken arm).
For the last four weeks he had been starting at hooker to cover another key injury casualty in Andrew McCullough (knee).
It's enough to make Bennett regret telling Thaiday his contract won't be extended when it expires at the end of the 2018 season.
Thaiday - a veteran of 29 Origins and 32 Tests - was told by the Brisbane coach he wouldn't be re-signed just last month.
But asked whether he was tempted to keep his new utility, Bennett said: "I am not thinking about any of that right now, I am just getting the job done against the Cowboys.
"(But) Sam can be versatile, and he's confident."
Thaiday is a former Broncos skipper and has spent his entire 14-year career at the club, claiming the 2006 premiership.
He is yet to decide whether he will play on at another club in 2019.
