‘It’s about his career’: Why NRL star Payne Haas could jump codes
Brisbane Broncos enforcer Payne Haas has been back in the headlines this week as the saga surrounding his future in the NRL continues to rage on.
According to The Courier Mail only a few days ago, the New South Wales Blues representative was set to re-sign with the Broncos.
But then, later in the week, the same publication revealed that Haas was reportedly “set to reject a four-year extension offer worth $1.1 million per season.”
That news has surely come as an early Christmas gift for Rugby Australia chairman Hamish McLennan. You wouldn’t be able to wipe the smile off his face if RA can sign the NRL superstar.
After signing Sydney Roosters flyer Joseph Suaalii to a lucrative deal earlier this year, McLennan and RA set their sights on Haas – and they weren’t shy about it, either.
McLennan told The Daily Telegraph that Haas could “see the world” if the front rower jumped codes. Haas could potentially play the British and Irish Lions in 2025, and a home World Cup a couple of years later.
It doesn’t get much better than that.
One man who knows a thing or two about jumping codes is dual international Mat Rogers. The former Wallaby played for Cronulla in the NRL before switching to the 15-player game.
Rogers helped the Wallabies retain the Bledisloe Cup in 2002 – the last time Australia held the prestigious trophy – and was part of Eddie Jones’ World Cup squad a year later.
Speaking on SEN radio in Australia, Rogers warned the NRL community that “rugby union is one that’s coming” for Payne Haas.
“It’s about his career, it’s about his future. He’s got a finals series on the horizon, the Broncos could win the comp,” Rogers told SEN. “Who knows where his mindset is?
“One thing I know is this stuff is not distracting Payne Haas.
“On the weekend he ran for 219 metres, 90 of those post-contact metres, five tackle busts, 44 tackles (and) no misses. He’s doing alright.
“He’s been through hell off the field with what he’s had to go through with his family and hasn’t missed a beat. He’s still been the number one front rower in the game.
“Good luck to him. There’s all this talk about is (whether he’s) going to go to Melbourne, is it the Bulldogs? Another rugby league club is not the risk for Payne Haas, it’s rugby union. That’s a risk.
“He’s not gonna go to Sydney for an extra 150 grand. Melbourne aren’t going to pay over a million dollars for a front rower. Rugby union is the one that’s coming.”
It was reported earlier this year that Haas, who has been the best front rower in rugby league for a number of seasons, was “seriously” considering jumping codes.
Haas played rugby union before switching to the rival code as a teenager – the now 23-year-old even played for the Australian Schoolboys in 2016.
“Rugby is something Payne would seriously look at. Payne loves rugby league and the Broncos, but he has played rugby as a kid,” Haas’ father Gregor told The Daily Telegraph earlier this year.
“People bag rugby in Australia but they don’t look at the bigger picture. The NRL is very small compared to rugby, which is a world game.”
Comments on RugbyPass
I don’t really care what the Ireland team did or didn’t say about the final and I’m an ABs supporter. However, what does AG know about it? He wasn’t there and he’s just making bold assumptions based on his imagination of how things rolled. Etzebeth was there on the field. It may have been misinterpreted, or not. You can have a fecking sense of many people are around you without asking them to raise their hands and be counted. You can call Etzebeth arrogant if you like but I’d say it’s less arrogant than someone who wasn’t there and had nothing to do with the situation declaring it’s BS.
44 Go to commentsSo….who is Andy Goode?
44 Go to commentsEngland had to bed in their new defensive system while challenging for the 6N. The schedule allowed them to try and focus on defense for first 3 matches and then target Ireland (the pre tournament target match). A win in France would be a bonus.
1 Go to commentsJust from watching the highlights there was plenty to like and plenty to build on. Some of these boys will be Super players soon and they will benefit from the exposure. Sounds like the coaches have made a good connection with these young men.
3 Go to commentsDont know if the Irish players said it or not, but lets all be honest with ourselves, and hopefully both the Irish and French have healed by now, the Media did jump the gun, be realistic, according to 90% of the media it was a France and Ireland final, and the media had 1 of them winning the world cup, not even mentioning the All blacks? Just remember world cups are different, Australia was not the most in form cricket tean in the last cricket world cup, but they have a nack of winning when it matters. I wont go into whether what Etzabeth is saying is true, all I am saying is that its very easy for a team to get ahead of themselves due to the media. Nothing wrong with it, the media got the springboks over confident against England and we nearly lost that one.
44 Go to commentsHey Finn, Well done to the Junior Wallabies…a win is a win but it was a wet and scrappy game. Would be interesting to hear your opinion on two things from watching the game at the Not So Sunny Coast Stadium. Firstly, what is your opinion on the rule change of being able to call The Mark from a kick off and what is the reason for the change? Secondly, your thoughts on the lack of action for the high tackle on the SA fullback. I understand the TMO ruled that he had fallen into the tackle and the tackler didn’t have time to adjust but it was clearly shoulder on head and the Aussie 11 had not made any attempt to adjust his tackle height leading into the tackle. In my opinion he was never going to get his tackle technique correct to complete a safe tackle. If that tackle was made at a more senior and more scrutinised level would we have seen the same result?
2 Go to commentsI don’t think this has been ventilated enough. Discuss. Perhaps the lessons in all of this is that, in the game of life, one should do all the talking on the field of play. And in the game of rugby, what’s said on the field - stays on the field. Take care of yourselves. And each other.
44 Go to commentsLow skills compared to the Junior ABs. The ball handling and ball retention of the SAns in particular was utterly woeful. The latter will be better on home turf.
2 Go to comments1. Heard this so often over the yrs. One Warriors CEO even claimed future kids wouldnt know which came first, the ABs or the Warriors. Always keen to talk themselves up. 2. That fella Barakat who says he will drop HBHS sponsorship because HBHS quite rightly wants its players to focus on rugby is an odd fit as a sponsor in the first place. As a recruitment official for the Warriors he seems to regard his sponsorship as a paid licence to help to select players from HBHS for the league side. Maybe he should find a league school to fund.
1 Go to commentsNZ U20s are the team to beat this year for sure. And how nice after so long that NZRFU is actually taking this seriously. For far too long they have been sending woefully coached and woefully underprepared teams to the U20 WCs. That Wrampling boy is a star in the making.
3 Go to commentsI agree ..come on keyboard warriors and journalists looking for a cheap win ….. only 2 mins to go 12 points down …this DID NOT decide the game and beside JM was hit after the whistle and in response it was a pat on the back of the head …harmless ….watch soccer if this is your issue
4 Go to commentsRest is for namby pamby sissies, I see. True men should overcome their trifling injuries by playing week in, week out. Bidwell’s stance reminds me of a Jon Gadsby character from the 70s, a rugby captain giving an after-match speech: “It was a very physical contest. One of our players caught a boot on the back of his head in a ruck, and he died, actually. But to his credit, he played on.”
1 Go to commentsI still see nothing in Sotutus play that hes changed his upright running style that failed so many times against decent international defences like the french. Other than that… Iose? Well you have covered his limitations well. If Sititi had been playing the the season… Jacobson? Grace?…Neither shout pick me. So Ardie it is.
1 Go to commentsThere isn’t one element you mentioned there that every top class or successful team gets up to. The great All blacks sides used to play on the ‘fringes or edge’ but it was essentially saying they were doing something illegal or borderline to gain dominance. The fine margins at the top are minute between the top sides. La Rochelle, the crusaders, Saracens, Toulon etc etc…..have all been accused. Get over it, the comment comes across as salty and naive. Northampton as well as they played to get back into the match were thoroughly beaten and controlled for 60 minutes and Leinster have only themselves to blame for kicking it away and hence losing control of the match and being nearly the architects of their own downfall.
2 Go to commentsThere is some talent coming thru thats for sure. The 10 looks special to me. Rico Simpson is a name to look for in the future.
3 Go to commentsI think this quiet honestly is just an innocent misunderstanding by someone who is pig sh*t stupid. Eben is a fine player but by christ, if he can’t understand or get what the Irish players were trying to say to him after the match…..well i hope he has someone looking after his finances, career and is reading the fine print for him, cause life after rugby may be quite difficult for the vacuous echo chamber.
44 Go to commentsIt could be Doris' day!
3 Go to commentsThe whole thing has blown up because Eben’s words have clearly struck a nerve in Ireland. Otherwise they would just laugh it off. I think some former Irish players, commentators and some Irish fans know deep down this Ireland team started to believe its own press and that a certain amount of arrogance had started to creep in during the World Cup. The topic was actually brought up by Irish pundits on Off the Ball recently. It’s fine to be arrogant if you can back it up. Ireland didn’t.
44 Go to comments‘The Irish are good people'. Why is Goode praising a people who hate his own? Wet wipe.
44 Go to commentsLa mejor final que se puede ver en el emisferio norte.
1 Go to comments