Disharmony, discord, disarray – or any other adjectives you can think of. Payne Haas’s dramatic defection to South Sydney for 2027, announced a week ago, sent shockwaves across the rugby league world. The best prop on the planet, one of the best players in the world, a NSW Origin star and NRL grand final winner, suddenly turning his back on the Brisbane Broncos four months after he helped them to an NRL title.
In terms of stunning transfers in the modern era – Sonny Bill Williams to the Roosters, Glenn Lazarus to the Broncos, Cooper Cronk to the Roosters – it was right up there. And in a sport with more leaks than the Titanic, what was perhaps most fascinating was that it happened quickly and quietly with no rumours or inkling by the media or the fans of what was afoot. A stunning coup for former Brisbane coach Wayne Bennett, and indeed a savage blow, bringing one of the Broncos’ biggest names down south.
