Payne Haas, the Brisbane Broncos prop, is being hailed as a potential gamebreaker in Sunday's NRL grand final against the Melbourne Storm. While teammate Reece Walsh may be the face of the league, Haas is considered the NRL's most compelling character, known for his superhuman stamina and ability to dominate opponents even when they are fresh.
Haas's journey to the grand final is marked by resilience. As a teenager, he was set to move to Melbourne before a personal call from Wayne Bennett brought him to the Broncos. 'I'm just grateful that happened because I wouldn't have been on the journey I am now,' Haas said. Now 25, some regard him as the greatest front-rower to ever play the game.
Off the field, Haas has faced significant adversity. His mother is in jail for a car accident that killed three people, his father was arrested in the Philippines on drug charges, and his older brother, a quadriplegic, died in 2020. Haas has taken on the responsibility of caring for his two younger brothers. 'I don't want my kids to grow up in the environment I grew up around,' he said.
Haas's recent endorsement of the R4W activewear brand, linked to Sydney's Alameddine crime family, has drawn attention. The NRL is collecting information on the matter. Despite this, Haas's on-field performance remains the focus. He leads all NRL forwards in average running metres per game with 169m and plays an average of 63 minutes, far exceeding his peers.
Former player James Graham praised Haas's ability to maintain high intensity over long minutes. 'If you're going to knock out 80 minutes, you can't be fighting for every inch... Payne Haas was just eating them up,' Graham said. Storm prop Stefano Utoikamanu, who called some Broncos players 'stuck up', admitted Haas is a 'machine'. Haas responded: 'We know who we are. We'll see what happens.'
