Brisbane Broncos‘ decision to retain Payne Haas after release demand sets a dangerous precedent for the club

I disagree with their position.

Brisbane should cut Haas loose now.

The Broncos have always been bigger than any one player and to allow Haas to try and dictate terms in the manner he has sends out the wrong message to the current squad, the fans and anyone who might consider joining in future.

Let’s rewind the clock a few seasons.

Haas, then an 18-year-old kid, was signed by the club after three games on a four-year deal worth around $600,000-a-year, having only recently recovered from a shoulder reconstruction. I almost fell off my chair when I heard about it at the time. A deal like that for a player at such an early stage of his career is extremely rare in rugby league and, as far as I’m aware, unprecedented at the Broncos.

And then something even more surprising happened. Along the way, the club upgraded his deal with no extension. A top-up like that is pretty much unheard of; an act of goodwill towards a player whom they clearly value.

Haas has been a good player for the club over his 70 games, but it hasn’t always been easy. As has been well documented, Haas has been involved in more than his share of off-field misdemeanours and the Broncos have publicly and privately stood by him every time.

Now, let’s fast forward back to today.

Haas is represented by Tyran Smith, an accredited agent, who works with Khoder Nasser, who isn’t an accredited agent. Their negotiations with the Broncos for an upgrade and extension for Haas have – quite publicly – stalled and restarted, stalled and restarted, all year.

As I understand it, the club’s offer is around the $750,000 mark. And I’m led to believe the asking price from Haas’ management is around $1.2 million, with some extraordinary conditions built-in in the player’s favour.

The result?

Haas has thrown his toys out of the cot and, in so doing, has shown his true colours.

The public will form its own opinions on this but, in my view, it reflects very poorly on Payne.

I have been around rugby league a long time and I can think of plenty of examples of a player wanting a release from one club to move to another. But, from all reports, Haas doesn’t have another club lined up at this stage. I have never seen anything like that. Of course, a player of his capability won’t struggle to find work, but to demand an immediate release in the manner he has for the reasons provided is highly unusual and, from a Broncos’ perspective, very disappointing.

I firmly believe he should have already played his last game for the club.

And I believe the Broncos, in cutting him adrift, should be stern in their public messaging as to why they’ve taken that action. Yes, they would be losing a good player, but no one footballer is worth a club devaluing its own integrity.

Moreover, keeping someone around who has made it publicly known he doesn’t want to be there will undoubtedly cause disharmony within the playing group. The Broncos have worked hard to rise from the disappointment of recent seasons to stand fifth on the NRL ladder. Do they really want to compromise all of that effort in an attempt to convince a disgruntled player that he should stay?

Had the club dealt with Haas unfairly, or put to his management a substandard deal, I might be more understanding of the position they have taken. But from everything I can see, the club has been more than fair and accommodating of his wishes.

Haas, by contrast, has shown his hand.

He would sooner plunge the team into chaos by walking away now rather than honouring his existing contract and negotiating in good faith towards a new one.

That’s too much for me.

The Broncos should move him on.