Broncos players savaged over ‘disgraceful' Payne Haas move as brutal claims surface

Yahoo

3 days ago

The Broncos' downfall was summed up on Saturday night when NSW forward Payne Haas made a break down the sideline with no support from his teammates as the club was then rocked with claims the prop could entertain interest from rival clubs. The Broncos were woeful against a fired-up Manly Sea Eagles side with Daly Cherry-Evans responding to his Queensland performance in the best way possible.
Cherry-Evans pulled the strings for Manly having a hand in all four of the Sea Eagles' first-half tries. In arguably his best game in months, following calls he should be dropped from the Queensland State of Origin side, Cherry-Evans and Lehi Hopoate ran riot over a hapless Broncos side.
Looking to bounce back from an extended rest after the bye, the Broncos showed no improvement after their 30-26 loss to the Dragons in round 11. The loss to Manly marks their sixth loss in seven games and the team now sit 11th on the table with just 12 points.
With just minutes to go in the clash, the Fox Sports broadcast panned to Broncos coach Michael Maguire in the box who looked like he had once again seen a ghost. Except it was the disappearing act of his side that had him shocked.
Penrith legend Greg Alexander and commentator Andrew Voss were left bewildered at the capitulation of the Broncos. "I don't know where Michael Maguire goes to from here…there has got to be some improvement, but where?' Greg Alexander said in commentary. "Grim faced,' Andrew Voss said when the camera showed Maguire in the coaching box.
And one moment summed up their performance. In the second-half, Luke Brooks went to kick the ball in-behind the Broncos defensive line.
Although Haas was there to scoop up the ball and the best prop in the game made a break down the line. Manly fullback Hopoate managed to reel him in after 40 metres as the Broncos were on the charge. However, Kotoni Staggs was one of the few players to have followed the front-rower down the field with speed.
Only eight Broncos players formed a line and the very next play, Deine Mariner dropped the ball out wide with very little emphasis provided in attack. The Broncos' effort was abysmal with Haas backing up a player-of-the-match performance in State of Origin from Wednesday, while his teammates were legless trying to help him move down field.
The move summed up the Broncos with Haas currently carrying the effort areas for the team with very little help from those around him. And commentator Warren Smith pointed out how far the Broncos had fallen using this moment as an example.
The Broncos are legless, and the play after the Payne Haas 50m run proves it.On 3 days rest from Origin, Haas has the energy to make a long bust, but the rest of the team could barely get there to keep the attack rolling, in a game they trail 22-6.Zero in the tank.
— Warren Smith (@WarrenSmithFOX) May 31, 2025
Haas is fresh off being MOTM in Origin and makes a break, none of his teammates can be bothered to back him up. Disgraceful
— Broncos Rebuild (@BroncosRebuild) May 31, 2025
And to make matters worse for the side, reports emerged there one shining light during the game could be keen to welcome offers from rival clubs. Speaking after the game, Fox Sports reporter James Hooper revealed Haas' management were ready to hear offers from rival clubs over his next contract.
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Haas is off contact at the end of next year and the best front-rower in the game will easily attract offers above his current deal of $1.1 million. Hooper watched the Broncos sink to a new low this year and then dropped the bombshell his agent could be keen to attract offers for the Broncos and NSW forward when he is available to talk to rival clubs on 1 November.
'There is talk that his agent has gone to all the other rival clubs and said, Payne is off-contract as of 2027 and if anybody wants to express interest that door is open,' Hooper said on Saturday night on Fox Sports.
'The rumblings coming out of Red Hill at the moment are ugly and as the losses mount, the noise will only increase. 'Madge has got to very quickly try and get some fun and some life and frivolity back into going to training and trying to win games because it doesn't look good at the moment.'
While there is no suggestion Haas is leaving the club, the forward would be one of the first names selected on any team sheet. And Maguire could not afford to lose the front-rower who has carried the Broncos at times this year, alongside Patrick Carrigan.