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‘Need him to stay’: Broncos coach reacts to Rugby Australia’s interest in Payne Haas

By AAP
(Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

A new Brisbane deal could be only weeks away for Payne Haas, whom Kevin Walters believes is little chance of defecting to Rugby Australia after his 2024 contract expires.

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Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii’s impending move to rugby union has been one of the biggest talking points of the season and Rugby Australia chairman Hamish McLennan told News Corp this week Haas was the next NRL player in his sights.

Haas is able to negotiate with rivals for 2025 from November 1 and would command a seven-figure salary in rugby league as the NRL’s form prop and star at representative level.

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But RA will attempt to sell Haas on the prospect of playing for the Wallabies against the British & Irish Lions in 2025 and at the home World Cup two years thereafter.

A breakdown in contract negotiations prompted Haas to seek a release from his Broncos contract last year, only for that request to be denied.

But the Broncos have since reinvigorated themselves to lead the premiership through seven rounds in 2023, Haas guiding the forward pack in the side’s 6-1 start.

Ahead of the round-eight clash with Parramatta in Darwin, Walters did not foresee any issues in keeping the 23-year-old at Red Hill.

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“I’m very confident that that will happen, it might take a few weeks but I’m sure that Payne wants to stay and we certainly want to keep him,” Walters said.

As one of the best young talents in the NRL, Haas stuck by the Broncos through their dismal 2020 and 2021 seasons and is only now beginning to enjoy the on-field success once assured to the Broncos each year.

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“Payne’s been here when there has been some tough times,” Walters said.

“We’re into some greener pastures at the moment and Payne is a big part of that.

“We look forward to him maintaining that, he’s enjoying his footy, loving living in ‘Brizzy’. We just need him to stay here, we want him to stay.

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“It’s about keeping Payne happy and making sure he’s learning here and developing as a footballer, which I believe he is. It’s up to Payne’s management and our staff to sort a deal out.

“We’ve got zero real reason to think Payne wouldn’t want to be here in a few years.”

Haas leads the league in post-contact metres and offloads after seven rounds, and is ranked second and fourth respectively for run metres and tackle busts.

Haas’ form is all the more remarkable given he is currently observing Ramadan, the ninth month in the Islamic calendar that requires Muslims to fast during daylight hours.

“There are some minor changes to what he does with our coaching staff, particularly our performance staff,” Walters explained.

“But really it’s the mental side of things where Payne gets on top of things and he’s been really good in that space.

“He’s quite an incredible athlete, the way he maintains his fitness and physical presence on the field. It’s a credit to him.

“He’s well prepared again this week and I’m sure he’s looking forward to what will be a great game tomorrow night.”

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Jon 8 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 11 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

44 Go to comments
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