Having agreed to save contract talks with the Brisbane Broncos for the end of the season following his stunning request for a release earlier in the year, reports have emerged that prop Payne Haas has received a number of big-money offers to play rugby union in Europe.
Haas is off contract at the end of 2024 but may be considering his options after the Broncos refused to agree to a deal that would allow Haas to leave the club if certain performance metrics weren’t met.
The terms of Haas’ current deal means he could be earning up to $850,000 by his final year, but it’s believed he could earn up to $1 million on the NRL’s openaas insist market.
But he could be earning significantly more in rugby abroad, with a number of ‘cashed-up’ European franchises are reported to have already registered their interest, as per the Sydney Morning Herald.
A move to rugby would further the similarities between Haas and Sonny Bill Williams, who was also the game’s best young prop at a similar point in his development.
It’s been a long year of contract drama for Haas – prior to the Broncos situation earlier in the year it was revealed the star prop was involved in a dispute with his former manager Chris Orr.
Haas took Orr to court in an attempt to recover fees he had paid to his manager, who meanwhile hadn’t declared a conflict of interest and abide by the rules and requirements of agents.
Haas insisted at the time of the contract dispute that money wasn’t his sole motivation, claiming he wanted to be part of a club that consistently plays finals and challenges for premierships.
It remains to be seen what impact the club’s massive improvement will have on Haas’ future ambitions, but Broncos officials are confident their recent success shows a plan for a future that includes the hulking forward.