Training injury compounds Payne-ful year
THE Broncos are confident Payne Haas has escaped the worse after the enforcer went down with an ankle injury during training on Thursday morning.
The 21-year-old was participating in a routine training drill on a wet Broncos training paddock, when he rolled his right ankle and was left clutching at it on the ground.
Haas was helped from the field by a Brisbane trainer before strapping ice to the impacted area.
Broncos head of performance Andrew Croll described the injury as a moderate-grade lateral ankle sprain.
“Medical staff don’t expect the injury to keep Payne out of training for too long,” Croll said.
It has been a rollercoaster start to 2021 for the young Broncos star. The injury comes after Haas was ordered to sit out the club’s next three games following his run-in with police earlier this year, where he was also slapped with a $50,000 fine. He must also undergo an appropriate education program and complete community service as part of his punishment from the NRL.
Broncos wellbeing support coordinator Petero Civoniceva said he was working closely with Haas to realise his potential in the NRL.
“He’s extremely remorseful for what happened, he’s made that very clear,” Civoniceva said.
“The club and himself are doing the right things to learn from that.
“For myself, I’m in Payne’s corner and trying to get him to understand what an important figure in the game he is and he’s going to be.
“It’s just about being the bloke we all know he can be.
“He’s a good, young man who made a mistake and learning from that as Tevita (Pangai Jr) has done.”