NRL 2024: Michael Maguire blasts Payne Haas Origin critics, Joseph Suaalii emerges the Anzac Day winner over Zac Lomax in race for Blues spot

The jury remains out on whether Payne Haas can transfer his club dominance for Brisbane to the Origin arena with NSW. However, coach Maguire has backed his enforcer and blasted suggestions Haas can’t deliver on the big stage.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 25: Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii of the Roosters scores a try during the round eight NRL match between St George Illawarra Dragons and Sydney Roosters at Allianz Stadium, on April 25, 2024, in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

New Blues coach Michael Maguire has blasted suggestions Payne Haas can’t deliver in the Origin arena and has backed the superstar Broncos prop to lead a NSW revenge mission this season.

Haas will ramp up his 2024 Origin campaign when he returns from injury for the Broncos in Saturday night’s clash against the Wests Tigers at Campbelltown Stadium.

Sidelined for the past five weeks following knee surgery, Haas is back for front-row fireworks with Tigers’ NSW Origin prop Stefano Utoikamanu as the battle for Blues front-row spots intensifies.

Haas, fitness permitting, is set to be installed as NSW’s chief enforcer for the series opener on June 5, but the jury remains out on whether the 24-year-old can transfer his club dominance for Brisbane to the Origin arena.

Haas has won just four of 11 games in the NSW engine room for a paltry 36 per cent success rate, but Maguire warned Queensland the NRL’s fittest prop is primed to dominate State of Origin.

“I’m excited about what Payne Haas can bring to this NSW team,” Maguire said.

Payne Haas has 11 appearances for NSW. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

“I spent two hours with Payne talking with him recently and I was super impressed with his qualities as a person.

“I think he will get better and better as an Origin player.

“He is still young for a prop which is scary and he is still working his way in and around the top level, but he belongs in the Origin arena.

“He just needs to get his body sorted but I have no doubt he will be a leader for NSW for a long time.”

The NSW front-row is far from settled with at least seven contenders vying for bookend berths, including Jake Trbojevic, Reagan Campbell-Gillard, Stefano Utoikamanu, Junior Paulo and Newcastle Saifiti twins, Jacob and Daniel.

But Haas shapes as the Blues’ spearhead, with the five-time Paul Morgan Medallist eyeing a sixth consecutive Origin campaign after his sky-blue debut in 2019.

Brisbane’s No. 1 prop started the 2024 premiership in formidable form, averaging 161 metres from his first two games and missing just one of 60 tackles for a supreme tackle efficiency of 98 per cent.

Michael Maguire has admired Payne Haas for years and backs the Broncos star to bring his club dominance to the Origin scene. Picture: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

The Maroons have muzzled Haas in their back-to-back Origin series wins under Billy Slater, but Maguire believes he can extract the best of the Broncos ironman.

Such is Maguire’s respect for Haas, he tried to poach him as a teenager at the Broncos in 2017, when the NSW mentor was still coaching South Sydney.

“I remember sitting down with a young Payne and you fast forward to today and look at how he has come on as a player,” Maguire said.

“I actually tried to recruit him to the Rabbitohs years ago, so I’ve always been a big fan of Payne.

“I love how hard he works and his personality on and off the field.

“Payne is a quality human being, so he is an important part of what we (NSW) do this season.”

Broncos coach Kevin Walters has assured Maguire that Haas has made a full recovery from his knee setback.

While his focus is on the Broncos, Walters, the former Maroons coach, is backing Haas to charge into rampaging form in the lead up to Origin I – starting against the Tigers in Sydney.

Michael Maguire has admired Payne Haas for years. Picture: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

“Payne has got his knee right,” he said.

“I’m not that fussed on Origin, particularly NSW. I don’t like them (the Blues) too much but our medical staff have done a great job with Payne.

“He is back in the team and there is no pressure on him other than to be Payne against the Tigers.

“He is very competitive and just watching the team play is never easy when you are injured.

“Payne has been a very good player here for a long time and very consistent.

“We like what he brings to our team … it will be good to see him back in a Broncos jersey.”

DID ZAC LOMAX JUST PLAY HIS WAY OUT OF A NSW JERSEY?

– Brent Read

Zac Lomax may have played his way out of the NSW side on Anzac Day. Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, meanwhile, may have played his way in.

Lomax and Suaalii spent one of the great days on the rugby league calendar locked in a personal duel that may have had State of Origin implications.

Lomax seemed intent on locking up his spot as he got off to a blazing start, playing a part in the Dragons’ opening try with one of his patented flick passes.

It was a brilliant piece of skill but that was as good as it got for both he and the Dragons on a day when coach Shane Flanagan received a brutal reminder of the gulf between his side and the premiership contenders.

Having hit an early lead, their afternoon rapidly unravelled and Lomax had to take his share of responsibility for another flick pass which kicked off a Roosters procession.

Lomax, no doubt flushed with confidence after his form this season, was coming off his own line when he attempted an outrageous offload which caught captain Ben Hunt off guard.

Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii beats the efforts of Zac Lomax to score a try. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

The ball hit the deck, the Roosters swooped and a resurgent Angus Crichton scored. What followed was a shellacking as the Dragons descended into a rabble.

It was the sort of capitulation that has become synonymous with the Dragons in recent years but far removed from the competitive outfit we have seen on most occasions under Flanagan this season.

They fell apart at a rate of knots as Roosters halfback Sam Walker – dropped for this corresponding game last year – put on a masterclass.

Lomax, to his credit, did his best to inspire his troops. He was the only Dragons player to run for more than 100 metres in the first half. He never stopped trying.

Yet it was hard to escape the moment of madness that cost his side a try – and plenty of momentum in the 13th minute. It wasn’t his only error either – he dropped a bomb in the second half that led to Joey Manu’s try.

Zac Lomax failed to impress against the Roosters on Anzac Day. Picture: NRL Imagery

They were the sort of mistakes that are fatal in Origin, where every error is punished tenfold. A penny for Michael Maguire’s thoughts as the NSW coach watched Thursday afternoon, no doubt with one eye on Origin and how the stars of Roosters and Dragons handled one of the biggest stages of the season.

Suaalii, on the other hand, was flawless. He didn’t get a load of ball or space, but what he did, he did well. He defused every kick that came his way, although in a show of respect the Dragons tended to target Dom Young.

He returned the ball with gusto when given the chance. He went looking for the action. He put the icing on his performance by helping himself to a try with three minutes remaining as he took a brilliant flick pass from Egan Butcher, flirted with the touchline, stepped out of a tackle and stretched out to score.

It was finishing at its best. When he didn’t have the ball, he was just as impressive. Maybe more. He didn’t give Lomax an inch. The Dragons winger has found space and time all season but Suaalii allowed him neither.

There has been talk that his imminent switch to rugby union should rule him out of Origin contention but Maguire’s only motivation is and should be a series win.

Next year will take care of itself. Right now Suaalii is a rugby league player and a pretty good one at that. Good enough perhaps to pull on a sky blue jersey.

He certainly did himself no harm on Anzac Day.

Originally published as NRL 2024: Michael Maguire blasts Payne Haas Origin critics, Joseph Suaalii emerges the Anzac Day winner over Zac Lomax in race for Blues spot