Haas vs Fotuaika: Why shutting down Broncos Hulk is personal for Moe

Moeaki Fotuaika is one of the brightest up and coming prop forwards in the National Rugby League but back in 2016 he couldn’t get the start in his Keebra Park high school team.

Gold Coast products Payne Haas and Moeaki Fotuaika will square off this afternoon.

Moeaki Fotuaika is one of the brightest up and coming prop forwards in the National Rugby League but back in 2016 he couldn’t get the start in his Keebra Park high school team.

The team’s skipper, Tom Mikaele, had locked down one starting jersey while a fellow by the name of Payne Haas had secured the other.

Payne Haas is seen during Brisbane Broncos training at Clive Berghofer Field in Brisbane, Thursday, June 25, 2020. The Broncos will play the Gold Coast Titans in their round 7 NRL match at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday. (AAP Image/Darren England)

Fotuaika has played in the shadow of Haas ever since.

Taking the battle to his old high school mate, now the heartbeat of the Brisbane Broncos forward pack, will be a deciding factor if the Titans are to notch their third win in a row against the ‘Big Brother’ on Suncorp Stadium this afternoon.

Keebra Park coach Glen Campbell has observed their positional battle since high school and he expects the fireworks to fly.

“They won’t be going soft on each other,” Campbell said.

“They’ll want to go head-to-head to prove themselves because although they are very good mates they were very competitive.

“All football games have been won upfront since the beginning of time and both sides have young, quality front rowers (in Haas and Fotuaika) who can be the foundation of their clubs.”

The stage is ripe with both struggling teams depending on their talismanic props to spark their attack into life.

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TOWNSVILLE, AUSTRALIA - MAY 29: Moeaki Fotuaika of the Titans gets past Justin O'Neil of the Cowboys during the round three NRL match between the North Queensland Cowboys and the Gold Coast Titans at QCB Stadium on May 29, 2020 in Townsville, Australia. (Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)

Even without David Fifita the Broncos have named five Gold Coast-developed products in their starting side, with Keebra’s Haas and Miami State High’s Alex Glenn in the forwards.

In the backline, PBC legend Darius Boyd partners Marymount College and Currumbin Eagles junior Xavier Coates on the left edge, with Burleigh Bear Herbie Farnworth on the right.

Keebra Park alum Ben Te’o is set to win a bench spot alongside star PBC playmaker from the Class of 2018 Tom Dearden.

The Titans 21-man squad only features three more Gold Coasters than the Broncos’, testament to the recruiting influence their northern rivals hold in the Titans’ backyard.

If the Titans can upset the Broncos today, talented juniors weighing up their NRL futures may reconsider if heading north is the right choice for their careers.