Payne Haas will help you win games, but he’ll lose you a premiership

Payne Haas is a special talent who would make any team better – but David Riccio shows why no club can pay his $1 million salary and win a premiership too.

These are the numbers that prove you don’t need to fork out $1 million for a front-row forward to win a premiership and play in grand finals.

More to the point, the figures show why your club can’t win a premiership with a forward on $1 million.

Below are the salaries of every front-rower to have played in a grand final over the past 10-years.

Naturally, with the increase in the NRL salary cap from a $4.1 million cap in 2012 to the $9.2 million cap this year, the pay packet of every player has risen.

There’s some well-paid props in there, like Storm premiership-winner Jesse Bromwich on $700,000 in 2020 and Roosters spearhead Jared Waerea-Hargreaves on $650,000 in 2019.

Panthers bull James Fisher-Harris was on $570,000 when he won last year’s title and his salary will climb beyond $650,000 over the next season.

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Can a team win a premiership with Payne Haas?

But take a look at the 2019 Raiders grand final side with Sia Soliola on $250,000 or the Sharks history-making 2016 premiership with Matt Prior on $175,000.

The Storm have roster management down to a fine art with the likes of Bryan Norrie ($150,000), Tim Glasby ($200,000) and a young Jordan McLean ($200,000) starting upfront in their grand final packs over the past decade.

The debate over Broncos, NSW and Test prop Payne Haas’ asking price of $1 million is the reason for today’s undertaking.

Undeniably, Haas is a special and unique talent.

Many experts claim they haven’t seen a front-rower in the game with the attributes that Haas boasts.

Going into this weekend, Haas had run for more meters on average (163) in three games, than any other player in the NRL – including any fullback, whose run-metres are always inflated by kick-returns.

If the Broncos had a dummy-half, who had the ability to play off the back of Haas’ lighting fast play-the-balls, they’d be a top-four side.

He has awesome size and power, often carrying three and four defenders on his back while still moving upfield, which is matched by incredible speed for a big man.

Remember in 2019 against Penrith at Suncorp Stadium when from 40-metres out, Haas exploded into the back field, burning past fullback Dylan Edwards to score the most incredible solo try.

Or only last year, Haas, in the dying minutes of the game, sprinted to into the in-goal to bat a ball dead just before a Sharks player attempted to possess the footy for a try.

Of all his attributes, it‘s Haas’ engine that has rival clubs contemplating breaking the bank.

Few forwards in the game play long minutes anymore.

The interchange system has allowed coaches to rotate their middlemen, while edge backrowers are more versatile, often pushed to the middle of the field when their props need a breather.

2021 premiers Penrith got two starting props, Moses Leota and James Fisher-Harris, for less than $1 million combined. Picture: Brendon Thorne/Getty Images

Such is Haas’ elite conditioning, Broncos coach Kevin Walters has the bonus of one less change on his bench, if he wants too.

Haas doesn‘t need to come from the field. He does, but he doesn’t have too.

He‘s averaging 63-minutes on the field so far this season – more minutes than any other forward at the Broncos.

And that’s why rival clubs would be willing to go the extra mile for Haas.

But is he worth $1 million? That’s only half the question.

He’s certainly offering more than rival $1 million forwards Jason Taumalolo or David Fifita – who was nowhere to be found when the Titans needed him against the Wests Tigers on Friday night.

The second-part to the decision over Haas is, what section of your roster, are you willing to burn, to pay the Broncos prop top dollar?

The Titans are not getting value for money out of $1 million forward David Fifita (C). Picture: Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

Do you skimp on a cheap dummy-half, a rookie five-eighth, fullback or hooker?

You can win a competition with a gun halfback or fullback, but can you win a competition with a prop?

Look at the clubs with massive money currently tied up in their pack.

The Titans have David Fifita on $1.05m, but to cover him they have a halfback, five-eighth, hooker and a fullback with no more than 115-games between them.

Manly‘s Jake Trbojevic is on $900,000. The Sea Eagles also have Daly Cherry-Evans and Tom Trbojevic on massive money.

But the Sea Eagles can’t afford their missing link – a dummy-half.

The Sharks have Andrew Fifita in the final year of his contract on $850,000, rolling the dice on Nicho Hynes proving he’s a halfback, Matt Moylan taking a pay-cut and developing Will Kennedy at fullback.

The Warriors Addin Fonua-Blake is on $850,000, which on performances, is proving a questionable buy, while Newcastle‘s David Klemmer on $800,000, has at-times been shuffled back to the bench.

The NRL salary cap auditor provides every club with the benchmark value of every position in the game.

It aims to help clubs understand the current market and asking price for players.

The current benchmark for a prop-forward across the NRL is $675,000.

That’s a long way from $1 million.

Originally published as Payne Haas will help you win games, but he’ll lose you a premiership