Payne an inspiration for prop

PAYNE Haas’s rise to the NSW Origin team is providing motivation to Gold Coast prop Moeaki Fotuaika’s own representative ambitions.

Haas and Fotuaika, both 19, played together at Gold Coast rugby league nursery Keebra Park State High School, with the former forcing the young Titans forward to come off the bench in their time together.

On Sunday, Fotuaika had the last laugh over his former schoolmate, helping Gold Coast to a 26-18 NRL win over Haas’s Brisbane.

Haas debuted for the Blues in last week’s Origin opener and that’s provided inspiration to Fotuaika as he eyes selection for Tonga’s Test against New Zealand on June 22.

“It definitely motivates myself to see players the same age as yourself making it big,” Fotuaika. “It was good to see him (Haas) making his Origin debut.

“When you see that kind of stuff it just makes you want to train harder and try to make representative sides.”

In his second season of NRL, Fotuaika’s stats are up.

After averaging 80 running metres a game in 2018, that number has increased to 120 this season while his 48 postcontact metres a game is second only to Jai Arrow (54).