Broncos declared as Haas of Payne
BRISBANE skipper Adam Reynolds has declared Payne Haas will not quit the Broncos, saying he is building an alliance with the star prop that can break the club’s 16-year premiership drought.
As the Broncos prepare for Saturday night’s derby against the Cowboys in Townsville, Reynolds is adamant Haas will keep faith in a Brisbane side emerging from the doldrums and ready to play finals.
Haas dropped a bombshell on the Broncos six weeks ago when his management sought an immediate release from his $3m deal – a request flatly rejected by Brisbane officialdom.
Rocked by boos and abuse from Broncos fans, the Haas camp and Brisbane bosses moved to douse the inferno by putting contract negotiations on hold until the end of this season. But with the next contracting phase on November 1, the Broncos must soon revisit the delicate saga with Haas, whose management believes the NSW Origin enforcer is worth up to $1.2m on the open market.
Haas has made it clear the issue is not solely about money – he wants to play for a club that consistently challenges for finals and titles. Since his Broncos debut in 2018, Haas has played just one finals game – a 58-0 debacle against the Eels in 2019.
But with Brisbane charging towards their first finals campaign in three years, Reynolds believes Haas, the club’s threetime Paul Morgan medallist, is about to enjoy the fruits of his hard labour at the Broncos.
“I don’t see Payne going anywhere else,” Reynolds said.
“He is Brisbane through and through. He has been at Brisbane since he was a young kid and he loves the club, despite what’s been said in the media about him.
“Payne has shown his commitment to the club lately. If he wanted out, he wouldn’t be putting his hand up week in, week out, to continually turn up and put his body through the injuries.
“A lot of people sit there and slam him, but he deserves credit for showing up with his body banged up and playing good footy for us. Payne is one of the reasons why we are having a successful season.”
The 22-year-old is contracted to Brisbane until the end of 2024 and the Broncos cannot pay him much more under the salary cap.
From November 1, Haas will usurp Reynolds as Brisbane’s highest-paid player.
Currently on $748,000, Haas’ salary next season will rise to $848,000, eclipsing marquee recruit Reynolds, whose three-year deal is worth $800,000 annually.
Having played for NSW and Australia, the final frontier for Haas is winning a premiership ring.