Brisbane Broncos coach Michael Maguire reveals new game plan for prop Payne Haas
Payne Haas has already issued a savage statement of intent to the rest of the NRL, and now Michael Maguire has revealed how he will use the Broncos’ prop differently in 2025.
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Brisbane coach Michael Maguire has revealed his new game plan for Payne Haas with the superstar Broncos prop set to play fewer minutes this season for maximum impact.
Maguire is mindful Haas can play the full 80 minutes with ease but the NSW Origin enforcer is having his game-time cut to ensure he rips and tears into the opposition this season.
Haas sent a savage statement to the rest of the league with a barnstorming performance against the Roosters last week and he is hellbent on terrorising the Raiders on Saturday night in Canberra.
Brisbane’s No.1 prop amassed 145 metres and 11 tackle busts in a 49-minute mauling of the Roosters, well below the traditional 60-70 minutes he has played in previous years at the Broncos.
The Raiders know all too well the power of Haas as a metre-eating machine. In just his second ever game as a starting prop against Canberra in 2019, Haas punched out 80 minutes at GIO Stadium as a 19-year-old greenhorn.
But Maguire believes Haas can become the most damaging prop in the game by reducing his minutes to maximise his on-field output and minimise the risk of burnout.
Maguire first worked with Haas during NSW Origin’s campaign last season and says the six-week series taught him a lot about how best to use the 119kg man mountain.
“I learnt a fair bit of that with Payne last year,” Maguire said of their Origin connection.
“I’d be crazy not to think about utilising those lessons we have learnt.
“At some stage, Payne may play a bit longer, but everyone saw (against the Roosters last week) what we would like to do.
“Sometimes games can shift and change. Patty (Carrigan, Haas’ front-row partner) had to play some long time (against the Roosters) and it’s great to have another bloke like Patty playing, he is enormous too.
“Kobe Hetherington did a great job through the middle and I thought our bench came on and complemented what’s going on.
“That allows us to do that (play less minutes) with Payne.
“It was nice to see him get the ball at different times and stages throughout sets which is the footy side of things.
“Normally the big boys jam the ball forward, but we have been able to allow Payne to play off the back of the players he is playing with.”
Haas’ performance against the Roosters last week was even more impressive given his off-field religious sacrifice.
A devout Muslim, the 25-year-old is currently observing Ramadan, which prevents him eating or drinking from dawn until sunset.
According to the Ramadan calendar, Haas will be unable to drink on game day on Saturday from 5.31am until 7.15pm — meaning he faces the Raiders having fasted for 14 hours.
It’s a huge toll given the high-performance demands of the NRL, but Maguire paid tribute to Haas’ mental strength.
“You wouldn’t know the difference, honestly (in his preparation and performance),” Maguire said.
“That’s why I talk about Payne being the amazing person that he is.
“He is doing it (Ramadan) because it’s what he likes to do and we all respect that, but he also respects the work that needs to be done.
“He is a strong leader within us and every time he trains, you know what you will get with him.”
Maguire is wary of the hype surrounding Brisbane’s Roosters rout. The Broncos are being trumpeted as premiership heavyweight but Maguire has warned Brisbane stars against complacency.
“Until you play again, you don’t know how we react,” he said.
“But one thing I have seen is the players jump straight back into training and that’s something there we have worked hard at.
“We have set a marker for how we want to do things and we have to make sure we do that week in, week out now.”
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