Payne Haas management reject talk that star prop will leave Red Hill

The Broncos now have a five-month headstart in the race to sign Payne Haas, but if these latest words from the agent of the star prop are to be believed, then the Brisbane behemoth is staying put regardless of the sums involved.

Superstar Brisbane prop Payne Haas will reject a move to Perth and avoid heading to free agency as he eyes a multimillion-dollar contract extension in his quest to win a premiership at the Broncos.

As Haas prepares for Saturday night’s derby against the Titans, the Broncos will make moves to secure the Origin star before November 1 and scupper the threat of a $1.5 million poaching bid from expansion newcomers Perth Bears.

Speculation was rife last week that Haas had been shopped to NRL rivals given that he is off-contract next season, making Brisbane’s five-time Paul Morgan Medallist a free agent from November 1.

But Haas’ manager Ahmad Merhi claims the NSW Origin enforcer “won’t be going anywhere” and will ramp-up negotiations in the coming weeks to ensure the 25-year-old moves a step closer to being a Bronco for life.

The Haas camp famously dropped a bombshell on Brisbane three years ago by requesting an immediate release – the Broncos flatly rejected it – but Merhi says the club’s top prop is now settled at Red Hill.

Payne Haas is keen to remain a Bronco – for now – according to his manager. Picture: Bradley Kanaris

So settled that Merhi indicated Haas has no intention to test his value on the open market, giving the Broncos a five-month headstart to thrash out a new extension.

“Payne is not leaving the Broncos,” Merhi told this masthead on the eve of Haas’ showdown with the Titans at Suncorp Stadium.

“He won’t be going anywhere.

“If he wanted to go somewhere, he would have left two years ago.

“I wouldn’t say there’s a hope (of him staying at the Broncos) – the deal will just get done with Brisbane.”

Alarm bells rang when Merhi recently distributed a list of his impending free agents and off-contract players to NRL clubs, which is standard practice annually for many player management firms.

Nineteen names featured on Merhi’s list, including Haas, who, if he became available from November 1, would be sure to trigger a bidding frenzy at a time when the Perth Bears will be a new competitive threat.

New Perth coach Mal Meninga will have 12 months to sign 30 full-time players and Bears director Billy Moore has called for the NRL’s 18th team to offer Haas in excess of $1.5 million a season.

But there are several aces the Broncos have up their sleeve.

Haas is already the highest-paid prop in the code. He is on an estimated $1.1 million this season, and his salary will rise to $1.2m next year, making it almost impossible for Brisbane to be blown out of the water in the salary-cap era.

“It’s not about money with Payne,” Merhi said.

“The new expansion clubs (including PNG in 2028) don’t change anything.

“There is no attraction to those clubs. If Payne went to Perth, he could have gone to rugby (for money), but he won’t be going to either.

Brisbane Broncos money man, Payne Haas. Art: Scott 'Boo' Bailey

“Payne is a Bronco, he has always been a Broncos, he has received some great awards there over the years and he can go down as one of the greatest players for the Broncos ever.

“It’s not a financial decision, it’s got to do with the preference of the player and Payne would love to win a premiership at the Broncos.”

The other significant factor is family.

As revealed by this masthead last year, Haas became a legal guardian for his younger brothers, Hans, 15, and Geejay, 13, following the legal dramas involving his parents Joan and Gregor, the latter of whom is in an overseas prison in Manila after being charged with drug trafficking offences.

Last December, Haas celebrated the birth of his second child, meaning the Broncos prop is effectively raising four dependants with his partner Lani.

Hans has signed a three-year development contract with Brisbane and Haas is hopeful of one day wearing Broncos with his younger brother.

“I have loved taking them on,” Haas told this masthead recently.

“I need to be a father figure for them because my parents aren’t around.

“They have been really good and they are helping with my own kids, so we’re a tight family.”

Merhi said the Broncos have helped Haas navigate some turbulent off-field issues.

“These things all have to be taken into account,” he said.

“Payne has his younger brother Hans coming through the system and he would love to play with his brother one day, maybe even his other brother Klese (currently at the Titans) could play there too.

“He has a dream to play with his brothers at the Broncos.”

Brisbane have previously discussed mega deals for Haas.

In 2021, Haas’ previous management tabled a proposal for the prop to sign a 10-year lifetime deal with Brisbane. The Broncos board baulked at that term, but gave their imprimatur instead to a six-year upgrade, which ultimately collapsed when Haas changed agents and joined forces with Merhi.

Merhi is not a fan of massive lifetime deals.

He prefers flexibility, which means Haas’ next deal with the Broncos is likely to be between two to four years, long enough to stave off Perth and PNG.

Haas is currently in the best form of his career – he is averaging 160 metres and 30 tackles per game – and Merhi says Brisbane are mindful of their champion prop’s market worth.

“I have a good relationship with Dave Donaghy (Broncos CEO) and Simon Scanlan (recruitment boss), we are all on the same page,” he said.

“The Broncos are in a new phase with their coach and getting their systems right.

“Getting that right is more of a priority right now than Payne’s contract.

“He’s very happy at the Broncos.”

Originally published as Payne Haas management reject talk that star prop will leave Red Hill