Rugby Australia open negotiations with Payne Haas over shock code switch
Rugby Australia has reportedly formally opened negotiations with Payne Haas over a shock union move as the feud between codes escalates.
According to News CorpRugby Australia chairman Hamish McLennan began talks with the Broncos superstar’s camp on Friday night after Brisbane beat Parramatta 26-16 in Darwin.
However, Rugby Australia has yet to make a formal bid at this stage.
The development comes just a week later McLennan revealed the Wallabies has made signing the brisbane prop their number one priority.
The audacious bid to whack another NRL star comes less than a month after Sydney Roosters Joseph Suaalii signed a three-year, $1.6 million a year deal with Rugby Australia from 2025.
Rugby Australia has opened negotiations with Broncos star Payne Haas
Rugby Australia boss Hamish McLennan said last week that Brisbane’s support was the Wallabies’ next big target following the landing of Joseph Suaalii
Haas’ contract expires at the end of next season and will be on a free transfer from November 1.
The New South Wales star is the Broncos’ highest-paid player this season, but Rugby Australia could make a far more lucrative offer than his current salary of $848,000.
Speaking last week, Broncos coach Kevin Walters says the club had “zero real reason” to think like a superstar Haas will make a code switch to rugby with a possible large cash offer on the way.
The 23-year-old did ask to be released from his deal in 2022, a request that was rejected, and Walters was adamant. Haas was determined to stay with the Broncos and win a premiership, with another deal potentially imminent.
“I’m very confident that’s going to happen. It may take a few weeks, but I’m sure Payne wants to stay and we definitely want to keep him,” said Walters.
Since replacing Dave Rennie in charge of the Wallabies in January, Eddie Jones has bullishly suggested he raid the league to convince some of the game’s biggest stars to move to rugby union.
During Jones’ first stint with the Wallabies, Mat Rogers, Wendell Sailor and Lote Tuqiri all crossed codes in the early 2000s.
Suaalii’s move has reignited a feud between the codes NRL boss Peter V’landys accuses Sydney Roosters gun of chasing ‘easy money’.
The star prop is under contract with Brisbane until the end of the 2024 season
Sydney Roosters star Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii signed a three-year contract with the Wallabies
On Sunday, V’landys raised the bar revealed that the NRL was considering introducing exceptions to the salary cap.
The change would allow NRL clubs to target Wallabies stars, with V’landys clearly frustrated by Rugby Australia’s aggressive recruitment strategy.
But McLennan has vowed to continue fighting the NRL.
“Signing Eddie Jones is a real move. Signing Joseph Suaalii is a real step,” he told News Corp.
“The Lions in 2025 is a real tour and convincing the Australian government to host the Rugby World Cup in 2027, the world’s third largest sporting event, is real.
“We’ve done all of this in just over two and a half years, so we’re just getting started. I’m not put off by aggressive rugby league types.’
Meanwhile, rugby league greats Phil Gould, Andrew Johns and Billy Slater all dismissed McLennan’s optimistic attitude as a figure, claiming that rugby was no threat to the NRL.
“Payne Haas doesn’t go to rugby,” Johns said on the Sunday Footy Show.
“I see they’re chasing Nathan Cleary. Laughable. Why would you want to play rugby union? You touch the ball three times.
“Payne Haas would go over the ball and run three times.”
Slater echoed the position, suggesting that money alone was not enough of a reason for players to switch codes.
“Money won’t change you. It certainly can’t be a money issue. The money is really good in our game.
NRL supremo Peter V’landys revealed the league could pass salary cap waivers for clubs that directly tried to recruit players from the Wallabies
Andrew Johns (left) and Billy Slater (right) insisted rugby union was not a serious threat to the NRL as players were unlikely to switch codes
“Our product is the best it’s ever been. It’s a great entertainment product. It’s a great product to play with.’
Gould, meanwhile, dismissed V’landys’ ploy of introducing salary cap waivers as a “ridiculous idea” that could destabilize the market.
“Rugby doesn’t pose any threat to us,” he said on Nine’s 100% Footy.
They’re two different games. I tell you this: Their players can’t play our game and our players can’t play theirs.”