Rugby Australia are reportedly plotting an audacious bid to sign Broncos superstar Payne Haas in a recruitment move that is “bigger” than acquiring Joseph Suaalii.
The Roosters young gun signed a whopping $4.8 million three-year deal to make the cross-code switch and now RA are preparing to continue their rugby league raid.
Haas is off-contract at the end of the 2024 season and is free to negotiate with rivals come November 1 with the 15-man code preparing a bid for his services according to The Daily Telegraph.
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Eddie Jones reportedly wants the 23-year-old enforcer for the World Cup on Australian soil in 2027 and The Daily Telegraph’s Michael Carayannis believes he would be a bigger signing.
He went as far as labelling the Broncos prop the current “best forward in the game”.
“It’d be a huge scalp if they get him, and they pulled off Suaalii,” NRL360 host Braith Anasta said on Wednesday night.
“This would be bigger because this is arguably the best forward in the game, definitely the best forward this year,” Carayannis said.
“It looks like it is a different Payne Haas to what we have seen the past couple of years, he looks settled and for years all we have heard is he wants a richer deal, he wants a longer deal.
“He’s actually playing like a million-dollar player now.”
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Fox League’s James Hooper said the Broncos “can’t afford to lose Payne Haas” after a barnstorming start to their 2023 campaign.
Kevin Walters side sit first with six wins from seven games and have now got a young core to build on for seasons to come.
While Haas has only 18 months remaining on his current contract, Brisbane powerbrokers handed Pat Carrigan a long-term deal and also recruited flyer Reece Walsh in the off-season.
Rugby Australia have reportedly previously held talks with Haas regarding a cross-code switch before they pulled their interest in 2021 after a drunken incident involving NSW Police.
Now Rugby Australia chairman Hamish McLennan has confirmed they will once again pursue the Broncos gun.
“Payne could definitely be wearing Wallaby gold,” McLennan told News Corp.
“We really like Payne. He has a strong rugby pedigree and it’s probably time for him to spread his wings and do something really special.
“The Broncos are great — but playing for the Wallabies against the British Lions would be even better.
“By playing rugby, Payne can see the world.”
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NRL360 co-host Paul Kent conceded that a move to sign Haas makes sense for Rugby Australia, but couldn’t help but slam the rival organisation.
“It made sense to play either number eight or inside centre, which is where Sam Burgess played when he went to rugby,” Kent said.
“He is managed by Khoder Nasser who has got a history of taking players from the NRL to rugby, particularly overseas rugby.
“He’d be a superstar in rugby, he’d murder them in rugby and it would be very sad for the NRL to lose him.
“But I’ll tell you what, the Broncos are in the fight now to keep him.
“McLennan has never had his name in the paper so often than when he is talking about rugby league.
“No one knows who he is unless he is talking about rugby league… the biggest news out of rugby in the past 12 months, there’s been two things.
“That got Eddie Jones back and they signed Suaalii, that’s it, other than that you can go to sleep and wake up 12 months later and nothing has changed.”
