Melbourne Storm express interest in Payne Haas as Broncos’ $1 million fight intensifies
Six years ago, Payne Haas had booked a flight to Melbourne to sign a deal with the Storm, only for then Broncos coach Wayne Bennett to phone him while he was at the airport.
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Craig Bellamy’s Storm are targeting NSW Origin enforcer Payne Haas as the $1 million battle for the Broncos superstar intensifies.
This masthead can reveal Melbourne powerbrokers have formally expressed interest in Brisbane’s No.1 prop ahead of the Broncos-Cowboys blockbuster in Townsville on Saturday.
Haas dropped a bombshell on the Broncos last month when his management revealed plans for the Origin and Test star to test his value on the open market from November 1.
The Broncos front-row sensation has been linked with the Bulldogs, while fellow struggling clubs such as the Wests Tigers and Dragons have outlined their preliminary interest in Haas.
But Bellamy’s Storm juggernaut — the NRL’s most consistent team of the past 20 years — are the real threat to the Broncos.
The Storm are on the hunt for quality forwards following the loss of premiership trio Felise Kaufusi and Jesse and Kenny Bromwich to the Dolphins this season and coach Bellamy is a huge fan of Haas’ workrate.
Haas has a stated ambition to win a premiership ring and aside from the Broncos, who are currently equal first, the Storm are one of the few rivals in the league with consistent title-winning potential.
The Storm possess a superstar quartet of Cameron Munster, Jahrome Hughes, Harry Grant and Ryan Papenhuyzen and Bellamy believes Haas would be the perfect front-row recruit to set a premiership platform.
That has prompted Melbourne bosses to hold preliminary talks with Haas’ management.
The Storm and NRL rivals cannot formally register any new deal for Haas before November 1, giving the Broncos a crucial headstart in the fight to retain a metre-eating machine widely regarded as the NRL’s No.1 prop.
Broncos coach Kevin Walters remains confident Haas will stay loyal. As the prop prepares for the Cowboys derby showdown at Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Brisbane assistant John Cartwright insists the Blues hardman is not being distracted by off-field events.
“Nothing seems to bother Payne,” Cartwright said on Wednesday.
“He keeps his football totally separate.
“When Payne comes to training, you wouldn’t know what is going on outside of what he needs to do here and that’s one of his strengths.
“He has a steely resolve and that’s all that matters at that point in time.
“All the noise and whatever else is happening around them, it‘s going to look after itself.”
While Brisbane are in the box seat to retain Haas — they have discussed a three-year, $1 million-a-season extension — the four-time Paul Morgan Medallist has a history with the Storm.
As a 17-year-old, Haas was on the verge of signing with the Storm and had even booked a flight to Melbourne to ink the deal, only for then Broncos coach Wayne Bennett to phone him while he was at the airport.
Haas’ father Gregor recalls how close his son came to being coached by Bellamy at the Storm powerhouse.
“If Wayne didn’t make that last phone call, Payne would have signed with Melbourne, 100 per cent,” Gregor told News Corp in April.
“Payne was impressed with the Melbourne set-up and the success they’ve had.
“We were about to get on the plane, but then Wayne called and managed to convince Payne to stay at the Broncos.”
Now the Storm are hovering again, although whether they can trump the Broncos in a bidding war remains the $1 million question.
Melbourne have outlaid significant amounts of money to keep their roster together, having extended the contracts of Papenhuyzen, Munster, Hughes, Grant, Christian Welch and Nelson Asofa-Solomona in recent seasons.
Of those players, only Papenhuyzen comes off -contract at the end of 2025. The remainder are contracted for 2026 and beyond. It likely means the Storm are restricted in how much they can offer Haas unless they look to move players at the end of next season.
Nick Meaney, Aaron Pene, Marion Seve and Reimis Smith are all off-contract at the end of next season, when Haas comes up for grabs.
The Storm will have some work to do to sign Haas, although they have asked to be kept abreast of negotiations as they prepare to enter the race for his signature on November 1.
The other factor that may play a part in Haas’ decision is the future of Storm coach Craig Bellamy, who has a long-term deal in his pocket but an agreement with the club that he has until March each year to inform owner and chair Matt Tripp whether he will continue into the next season.
Haas may want some clarity over the future of the coach before he seriously considers a move to Melbourne.
A fortnight ago, Haas’ manager Ahmad Merhi said while virtually every NRL club has an interest in the prop, only a handful of premiership contenders are genuine threats.
The Storm are one of those.
“Payne wants to play premiership football, so it’s very easy to work out the top four sides in the comp,” he said.
“We can’t entertain every team, but Payne is competitive and he wants to be in a successful team, which Brisbane are at the moment.
“I know several big clubs are keen, everyone has to look at their rosters, so we’ll see what offers are on the table from November 1.
“Last year when Payne looked at a release, the Broncos weren’t a finals team, but now they are a serious contender.”
Former Broncos football boss Ben Ikin, who left Brisbane in May, hopes Haas stays loyal, but says the Storm could be an option.
“Payne sets himself some pretty big goals,” Ikin said.
“He is very driven, he is very ambitious, he is very deliberate and if he has some other goal on his mind, then he will go after it.
“I would say as someone who would love to see him stay at the Broncos, I hope that goal in the back of his mind is that he is going to go after premierships with Brisbane.
“I don’t know what other clubs can afford.
“You have to speak to Payne about what his key drivers are at the moment.
“I can’t answer on his behalf, but if it’s money, there might be some massive offers out there that are bigger than he will get from the Broncos.”
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The Broncos are set to stave off poaching bids for Jock Madden after tabling a new deal for the emerging playmaker.
Brisbane coach Kevin Walters is a fan of Madden, prompting Broncos recruitment-and-retention bosses to offer a two-year extension to keep the former Wests Tigers young gun at Red Hill until the end of 2026.
Madden was already contracted to Brisbane until the end of 2024, but the five-eighth or halfback recently fielded expressions of interest from the Dragons and his former club the Tigers.
That prompted the Broncos to up the ante by tabling a fresh package to Madden, who is viewed by Walters as a possible scrumbase successor to champion halfback Adam Reynolds.
Skipper Reynolds will sign a 12-month extension for 2025 at season’s end and the two-year offer to Madden is a sign the promising 23-year-old is part of Brisbane’s succession plan with boom five-eighth Ezra Mam.
Tigers coach-in-waiting Benji Marshall is understood to be a fan of Madden but the joint venture club’s decision to pursue Super League-based playmaker Aidan Sezer has aided Brisbane’s retention hopes.
Madden’s manager Chris Orr said the former Australian Schoolboys ace is keen to extend his tenure at the Broncos after arriving at Red Hill last summer from the Tigers.
“I am confident Jock will stay,” said Orr of PSM.
“He really enjoys the club, players and coaching staff.
“Jock understands Adam Reynolds is looking to go on in 2025, but he feels the Broncos have a game plan for him which he is excited about.
“Jock loves the Broncos and can’t be happier, but the only issue is he’s not playing first grade. You can’t blame anything or anyone because the Broncos are playing great football and Adam Reynolds is in the best form of his career.
“One of the reasons Jock went to the Broncos was to learn from Adam.
“Eventually Adam will retire, so Jock hopes to be the first cab off the rank.
“He would love to wear that Broncos No.7 jersey on a regular basis.”
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