NRL 2022: Payne Haas, Albert Kelly to be banned over ‘Shoe-gate’ controversy

Payne Haas will spend another stint on the sidelines with the NRL set hand down its punishment for the controversial Broncos prop’s latest indiscretion.

Payne Haas will spend up to two weeks on the sidelines.

Payne Haas is facing another stint on the sidelines with the controversial Broncos prop and teammate Albert Kelly set to be suspended by the NRL for their roles in the ‘Shoe-gate’ scuffle.

News Corp can reveal the NRL integrity unit will slap Haas and Kelly with suspensions of up to two games in the wake of their unsavoury altercation which has put the Broncos’ culture under the spotlight.

Haas has been named in Brisbane’s starting side for Friday night’s clash against the Roosters and whether he runs onto Suncorp Stadium could hinge on when the NRL integrity unit finalises its probe into his clash with Kelly.

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But when the dust settles, the NRL will propose a one or two game ban for Kelly and Haas, the latter of whom faces a third strike after falling foul of the integrity unit twice in the past three years.

Kelly’s suspension will be served down the track given that the Broncos playmaker will miss the next four months after undergoing surgery on a foot injury sustained against the Warriors last Saturday.

It is understood Haas would have escaped with a warning if the Kelly stink was a one-off incident, but the NRL is sick of the Broncos forward’s antics and will suspend him again to ensure the penny finally drops.

Payne Haas will spend up to two weeks on the sidelines.

If Haas plays against the Roosters, he will almost certainly be stood down for Friday week’s away showdown against Penrith, and possibly miss Brisbane’s round 7 home clash with the Bulldogs on April 22.

The NRL were planning to announce sanctions before the Broncos-Roosters clash. But the inquiry has dragged on after integrity-unit officers requested additional CCTV footage from the team hotel at which the Broncos stayed during their round 2 defeat of the Bulldogs on March 20.

It is understood fresh CCTV vision failed to uncover any further evidence, with the NRL to act on the initial footage of Haas striking a drunken Kelly, who angered the prop after repeatedly jumping on his shoes.

Haas has amassed a worrying rap sheet, having copped a total of $70,000 in fines from the NRL and the Broncos and seven matches in suspensions for two off-field indiscretions.

In 2019, Brisbane’s No.1 player was suspended for four matches and fined $20,000 by the Broncos after he failed to cooperate fully with the NRL integrity unit regarding an investigation into an off-field matter involving family members.

Last year, Haas was in the crosshairs of a fresh integrity-unit probe. He was fined $50,000 and banned for three games by the NRL after being locked up by police for intimidating a female officer following a drunken outburst at Tweed Heads.

Another serious offence could leave Haas in danger of being deregistered by the NRL, but Broncos coach Kevin Walters insists the troubled front-rower is not in danger of being sacked by the club.

Payne Haas and Albert Kelly are recorded in Sydney.

“We support Payne 100 per cent,” Walters said.

“We love what he does on the field and he is working hard on himself off the field.

“I’m disappointed it happened. I wasn’t pissed off because I know what blokes are like. I’ve been living in this world for a long time, things can happen.

“It’s just an incident and those two boys are remorseful for their actions.

“I don’t think Payne did a whole lot wrong. He was trying to do the right thing by his teammate who stepped out of line.

“He tried to calm the situation.”

Walters stressed Haas, a Muslim who is currently observing Ramadan, was not drunk on the night of his bust-up with Kelly.

“It certainly wasn’t alcohol-related with Payne,” he said.

“It was unfortunate that it was him. I believe he was trying to do the right thing.

“We love having Payne here. We’re building a club here and Payne is very much a part of that.

“He has been working hard on his off-field stuff.

“This one is a left-field incident but it’s there and we have to be respectful of that.”

While Walters has vowed to support Haas, he is quickly running out of chances at the Broncos.

Haas has been heavily linked with a move to the Roosters when his Broncos contract expires at the end of the 2024 season and whether he sees out his deal at Red Hill remains to be seen.

With three NRL-imposed suspensions for off-field incidents in as many years, Haas is on shaky ground despite being Brisbane’s best player and a three-time Paul Morgan Medallist.