Payne Haas may elect to represent Samoa from 2025 onwards.
In a move that would follow the trend of plenty of other players with heritage for a nation outside of Australia or New Zealand, Haas was reported by The Sydney Morning Herald on Tuesday to be weighing up a surprise switch to play for Samoa.
Under current international rules, players may represent a Tier 2 nation they hold heritage for even if they have already represented another Tier 1 nation, as Haas has done with the Kangaroos on four occasions between 2019 and 2023.
The prop, rated as the best in the game after a barnstorming start to 2024 for Michael Maguire's Brisbane Broncos side, is also eligible to represent the Philippines.
But it's Samoa who he may represent at this year's Pacific Championships instead of heading to England for the Ashes with Mal Meninga and the Kangaroos.
It's understood he has not yet held discussions with Samoan Rugby League, and speaking to the media per AAP this week, Haas has confirmed he is considering a switch, but won't make a call until at least after the State of Origin series.
"I will be transparent and honest, I have been considering it, but I won't make a decision until after Origin," Haas was quoted as saying.
"So I can put that to bed right now.
"It's about representing my grandparents, my grandfather is getting pretty old to be honest and I grew up around my Samoan family.
"So I'd be silly not to consider it. I want to represent them, and I'll make that decision after Origin. I'm not 100 per cent yet, so we will see what happens."
Whether it's a long-term play for Haas, or whether he would switch back to Australia for the 2026 World Cup - to be held in Australia - is also unclear at this stage should he elect to represent Samoa at the end of this season.
I think players chopping and changing between one national team and another demeans the value of selection for a national side.
I’d like to see the ARL introduce a ruling that says: “if a player changes his allegiance from one national team to another, he cannot come back to represent the nation for which he has previously played”.
So Payne could change from Australia to Samoa, but he couldn’t change his mind again and come back to represent Australia in the future.