But all that changed in May when playing for the Albion Park-Oak Flats Eagles against Sussex Inlet in a third grade Group Seven match at Finkernagle Oval.

"It was just a normal day of footy, with my preparation and warm-up being the exact same as any other day," said Waite, who was the third grade captain/coach..

"In the second half, I took a hit-up and got stopped in what I thought was a run-of-the-mill tackle.

While in the tackle there was a significant crunching sound and a strange sensation throughout my whole body, I knew straight away there was something seriously wrong.

"I can remember laying there on the ground and thinking my legs and arms were up in the air but they were on the ground - I had this numbing sensation I'd never felt before," he said.

"So when the runner got to me, I told him I was buggered and then the first aid volunteers on the day became involved and did a fantastic job in getting me secured and the ambulance service in."

From there, Waite was flown by helicopter to Royal North Shore Hospital, where they operated on his C3 and C4 vertebrae that had been compressed in the tackle.

"During the surgery, they took a piece of bone from my hip, cut through my throat and slotted the bone in my neck, as a way to take pressures off my spinal cord and reduce the amount of damage," the 49-year-old said.

"Ultimately, one's inability to move is caused by this damage and the pressure on your spinal-cord."

Read more: NRL premiership player makes shock return with Albion Park

When he came out of the operation, Waite was completely paralysed and unable to move or talk - which he stayed like for eight weeks, with the diagnosis of being a quadriplegic.

Not being able to speak was largely due to the breathing tubes being put through his throat.

This was just the start of him being in hospital for nine months and eight days.

"The toughest part of being in hospital was not being able to move," he said.

"Mentally I was exactly the same person I was the day before the accident but I had to lay there - which ate me up inside, being the hyperactive person I was.

"When I did first talk, I can remember saying 'I'm going to walk out of here'.

"It was a bold statement but I figured I needed a big goal to get me through this - I'm a person that if I say I'm going to do something, it generally happens."

Waite started playing in 1986 with the Park under 18s and has played every year since, playing reserve grade mostly. He had two years at Kiama before ultimately returning to the nest. Footy is Waite's first love, he also enjoyed fishing, swimming, camping, kayaking and walking his dog - a lifestyle which saw him call himself the 'luckiest man alive'.

Once "Pommy" finally was allowed to visit his home, he was blown away from all the support he and his family received.

"I can't speak highly enough of what the Eagles club has done for my family," he said.

"A number of the tradies involved with the club had gone to my home while I was in hospital, and renovated the house off their own back - they made a number of rooms, including the bathroom wheelchair friendly for me.

"They even put a ramp in for me, which allowed me to come home and stay at home on weekends - which was great because there's no rehabilitation on Saturday or Sunday, meaning you're just laying there watching television."

While Waite labelled physiotherapy and exercise, which he did for up to five hours a day, as a way to get his freedom back and 'escape', it wasn't easy for him.

"I'd done physio for four months before there was any signs of real progress," he said.

"It all started with a slight flicker of the thumb and toe in the first two months - which provided hope, which is all I concentrated on.

"I can remember when I could lift my right leg for the first time, I just kept moving it, as it felt so good - it's habitual now, as I'm constantly moving my right leg all the time.

"It was from that right leg that the hope of me walking again stemmed from."

That hope was realised on December 21, when Waite walked across a hallway at home before walking up the street.

"It [walking] wasn't elegant by any means, and it still isn't, but it's something," he said.

"Since then, thanks to a strict regime of pool sessions and other activities, I've got to a point where I can walk my dog for 1.5km every night.

"It's not pretty or quick and quite frustrating at times but it's gradually improving, particularly in my legs but not my arms - which is an issue because if I fall, I can't protect myself.

"There's a huge focus on getting your legs working but it's amazing how much you can't do without functioning arms - which you take for granted."

It's only been 10 months since the accident and Waite's improvements are even more incredible considering the original diagnosis doctors gave him of not walking.

"In the first six months after the accident, the most recovery occurs," he said.

"Generally over the next 18 months recovery slows down.

"So in that two years you need to work as hard as you can to get the most out of your recovery as there is no guarantee what, if any, movement you will get back."

"So it's a long, drawn-out affair but all you can try and do is get as much of your old life back as you can and become as independent as you possibly can."

As much as Waite is happy with his progress, he had actually hoped of a quicker recovery.

"To be honest, I had hopes that the whole recovery process would have been quicker, as I was so fit when it happened. I also realise that I'm exceptionally lucky to achieve what I have achieved ," he said.

"But the muscle wastage was huge, as I lost 22kgs in nine weeks, which was 25 per cent of my body weight.

"During that time, I also got pneumonia, which slowed the recovery process down even further - meaning I had to work extra hard just to get that strength back.

"It's amazing how many motions and little movements actually happen to do something as simple as walking."

After months of working with the team of physiotherapists at Prince of Wales, which he still visits weekly, Waite is starting to set-up his program down here, as he takes the next step of this process.

Throughout this whole journey, Waite and his family have been blown away by the support from the Eagles club and friends as well as the community at large, including his wife Kylie's Railway Greys Hockey Club, who provided meals for months for her and the couple's two sons.

On top of that, other Group Seven clubs, as well as the Albion Park men's cricket and hockey clubs, sold raffle tickets for a raffle that was organised by friends and the club. We'd also like to thank the businesses and organisations that donated prizes for the raffle.

"I can't thank all those people enough, including countless people I didn't even know had helped," he said.

"There's often a lot of negative press about rugby league but I wouldn't be where I am today without the Eagles club.

"It's really uplifting to hear about all this generosity - I didn't expect this type of response at all.

"It really makes you appreciate the people around you when you go through something like this."

Being there by Waite's side the whole time was his wife, who never doubted her husband would fightback from this.

"Knowing Paul's determination, I always knew he would walk again," she said.

"Staying true to form, he's given absolutely everything he's got to the rehab and now we are sitting here today."

"Generally I'm a very positive person but I'll be the first to admit there's been plenty of tough times over the past 10 months."

"But thanks to Paul's fierce independence and drive to get back to doing the things he loves, I never doubted he would walk again."