NRL 2023: Brisbane Broncos pull trigger on multimillion-dollar Payne Haas upgrade

Brisbane has turbocharged its plan to lockdown Payne Haas for a further three seasons, a move that will see the game’s best prop enter the million-dollar club a year early.

Payne Haas had a blinder against the Broncos. Picture: Getty

Brisbane have stepped up their bid to retain Payne Haas after tabling a long-term extension that will fast-track the powerhouse prop’s entry into the million-dollar club by handing him a pay rise next season.

Haas is due to earn $848,000 next season under his existing contract but under the new deal put to his camp by the Broncos, he will receive an immediate pay rise and continue to earn seven figures for years to come.

The deal is believed to for at least another three seasons and be worth around $3.5 million in total taking into account the upgrade for next season.

Broncos coach Kevin Walters boldly predicted at the weekend that Haas would sign a new deal with the club within three weeks, his confidence no doubt fuelled by the knowledge that a significant offer was on the table.

Payne Haas is set for an immediate . Photo: Scott Davis/NRL Imagery

Haas, who is preparing to play his 100th first grade game for the club this weekend, was expected to head to November 1 after his manager Ahmad Merhi recently told this masthead that the NSW prop wanted to test his value on the open market.

It is understood Merhi has been inundate with interest in Haas, with several clubs publicly declaring their desire to sign the 23-year-old. Others have made their interest known in private.

It means Haas would be in the conversation for the highest paid player in the game should he spark a bidding war for his services.

The Broncos are hoping that they can fend off interest from elsewhere by convincing Haas and his camp to take the deal on the table.

WALTERS’ BOLD CALL ON HAAS

- Travis Meyn

Broncos coach Kevin Walters has boldly declared Payne Haas will re-sign with the club before the NRL finals in a deal which will make him the richest player in Brisbane’s 35-year history.

Haas has become the most sought-after player in the NRL despite not coming off-contract at Red Hill until the end of the 2024 season.

The Kangaroos and NSW Origin prop’s management recently said Haas would test his value on the open market and has already garnered interest from multiple cashed-up NRL rivals, including the Storm, Dragons and Tigers.

However Walters is confident the Broncos will secure Haas’ signature on a long-term contract extension before he can be formally poached from November 1.

The Broncos have been formulating a multi-year proposal for Haas which will see him eclipse the $1 million-a-season barrier and become the highest-paid player ever in Brisbane.

Former five-eighth Anthony Milford is the only player to have cracked the $1 million mark with the Broncos, but Haas’ new deal will dwarf that if he commits to Brisbane.

The Broncos are facing a salary cap squeeze as the club’s revival following the 2020 wooden spoon debacle sends player values skyrocketing.

Kevin Walters claims Payne Haas will re-sign with the Broncos. Picture: Getty

They have already lost Tom Flegler and Herbie Farnworth to the Dolphins from next season and Haas, Ezra Mam, Reece Walsh, Selwyn Cobbo and Brendan Piakura are coming off contract in the coming years.

While rival clubs are preparing lucrative deals to entice Haas out of Red Hill, Walters is confident the code’s top prop will commit to his long-term vision as the Broncos cruise into a drought-breaking finals appearance.

“We expect to re-sign Payne within the next couple of weeks,” Walters told Triple M’s Sunday Sin Bin.

“That’s not something I’m managing, it’s others in the club looking after that.

“We’re very confident we can maintain and keep Payne long-term at the club.

“He is playing some of the best football of his career and is still only 23.

“We’ve got a few other guys coming through like Ezra Mam, Reece Walsh, Selwyn Cobbo, Kotoni Staggs, Pat Carrigan …we expect to retain all of those guys and keep them here long-term.

“That’s how I see things. If we can provide a good, fun environment for them to come to work in, that’s half the battle.

“I’m very confident we can hang on to all those guys we need to.”

Payne Haas had a blinder against the Broncos. Picture: Getty

Haas has previously indicated he wants to play at a club that is a premiership contender and Brisbane’s resurrection has put the Broncos in the box seat to retain him.

The Broncos will play finals this year for the first time since 2019 and are on track to finish in the top two, setting up a tilt for the club’s first NRL grand final appearance since the 2015 loss to North Queensland.

The Broncos are the only team to have won 16 games this season and have a bye after Friday night’s clash with Parramatta at the Gabba, in which captain Adam Reynolds (groin) is hoping to return.

But Walters will not be resting any of his star players as he chases the minor premiership and looks to fine-tune the Broncos heading into the play-offs.

“We’re going full steam ahead. We’re still striving to get our best football and to do that everyone has to be on the field,” Walters said.

“I’m not a fan of resting players.

“The guys that played Origin, we were fortunate enough to give them a bit of a rest. They’ve all had their spells and we’ve got a bye coming up. It won’t be a total week off but it will be a lighter week where we can freshen them up.

“I’m really excited about how far they can get to. Our best football is still in front of us and we’ve got time to fix up a few areas of our game.”

Originally published as NRL 2023: Brisbane Broncos pull trigger on multimillion-dollar Payne Haas upgrade