State of Origin 2022: Payne Haas finds an unlikely ally in Origin enemy Tino Fa’asuamaleaui

They famously went toe-to-toe in the 2020 Origin series, but now Tino Fa’asuamaleaui wants Queenslanders to stop booing Payne Haas over his powder keg contract saga.

State of Origin 2022 Queensland Maroons team media Day from Suncorp Stadium, Queensland. Tino Fa'asuamaleaui. Picture: Zak Simmonds

Payne Haas has found an unlikely ally in Origin enemy Tino Fa’asuamaleaui after the Maroons enforcer appealed for Queenslanders to stop booing his Blues rival.

Haas was left “rattled” by incessant booing from his own Broncos fans recently at Suncorp Stadium following his decision to seek an immediate release from Brisbane due to a contract dispute.

It was a unique situation for a Broncos player to be booed by his home crowd, with 32,000 at Suncorp making their feelings for Haas known in the round 12 win against the Gold Coast Titans.

Stream every game of every round of the 2022 NRL Telstra Premiership Season Live & Ad-Break Free During Play on Kayo. New to Kayo? Try 14-days free now.

Tino Fa'asuamaleaui and Payne Haas are caught up in a scuffle during game two of the 2020 State of Origin series.

Haas, 22, has since reneged on the release request, with the Broncos agreeing to postpone contract negotiations until the completion of the 2022 NRL season.

Haas will make his first appearance on the field since being booed in Wednesday night’s State of Origin series opener, when he starts at prop in his eighth game for NSW.

While he will not be booed by a pro-Blues crowd at Sydney’s Accor Stadium, Broncos and Queensland fans are unlikely to have forgotten about Haas’ antics when he returns north of the Tweed.

But the booing must stop according to Titans skipper Fa’asuamaleaui, who famously went toe-to-toe with Haas in Game Two of the 2020 Origin series which saw them sin-binned for fighting.

Fa’asuamaleaui and Haas traded blows at Sydney’s Olympic stadium, but the Queensland prop said he was disturbed by the Broncos crowd’s treatment of their best player for the past three years.

“I thought it was very disappointing to be honest,” he said.

“He has done a lot for the club, especially when they were at their lowest. He was the one that shined.

“Hopefully he is mentally all good from it. It was disappointing.

“It was funny because every time he ran they would be booing, but then he’d make a half line break and they were cheering.

Tino Fa'asuamaleaui and Valentine Holmes during a Queensland training session at Sanctuary Cove. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

“I think they realised how good of a player he is for the Broncos. I hope they’re not doing that any more.

“I think he will bounce back. He will put on a NSW jersey and not want to go backwards.”

The Maroons are preparing for Haas to come out firing on Wednesday night.

Queensland held a high-intensity opposed training session against Hostplus Club Souths Logan on Saturday at Sanctuary Cove.

They will finalise their Camp Maroon preparations on Monday before flying to Sydney and holding a captain’s run at Accor Stadium on Tuesday.

Maroons backrower Kurt Capewell said he expected Broncos teammate Haas to be at his brilliant best for the Blues.

“I didn’t see the news, but that’s great news (he has postponed contract talks),” he said.

“It was pretty big in the media. It’s good to see Payne’s handled that. I haven’t spoken to Payne about it.

“You get the same thing from Payne every week. You know what he brings.

“It was a bit of a shame he got booed, but moving forward from that you expect what Payne does every week and that’s to play a good game of footy.

“He wears his heart on his sleeve and plays hard.”

Originally published as State of Origin 2022: Payne Haas finds an unlikely ally in Origin enemy Tino Fa’asuamaleaui