NRL great sends Brisbane Broncos 'catastrophic' Payne Haas warning

NRL great Michael Ennis has warned the Brisbane Broncos that losing superstar prop Payne Haas would represent a "catastrophic" blow to the club that may take years to overcome.

Haas has been firmly in the spotlight over the last week, following the release of video footage showing him and teammate Albert Kelly getting involved in a heated scuffle at a Sydney hotel earlier in the season.

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Broncos coach Kevin Walters - speaking after Brisbane's heartbreaking 24-20 loss to the Roosters on Friday night - said he doesn't expect Haas to be suspended over the incident, following an investigation by the police and NRL.

Both players are reportedly set to face suspensions when an NRL integrity unit investigation is concluded, despite Walters insisting the incident was minor and that representative forward Haas had done nothing wrong in his opinion.

However, the incident has once again raised questions around the culture at the Broncos and the future of Haas - whose management team is seeking a deal worth around $1 million per season for the middle forward.

Ennis has warned the Broncos that they should do essentially whatever it takes to keep hold of Haas, or risk what he believes would be dire consequences for the club.

“Payne is so important to this Brisbane side. I thought him and Kotoni Staggs tonight (against the Roosters) were phenomenal," Ennis said on Fox Sports' coverage.

“Both of them individually can be so proud of their efforts for what they gave for their club tonight.

“Payne wouldn’t have liked all the headlines this week and the distraction and the spotlight that has been brought on the club in terms of the negative press.

“But the only way you can respond is through your performance on the field and he did that tonight.

“And he does it every week for them.

“It will be such a blow for Brisbane if he doesn’t remain at the club long-term.

“I know he has got two years to go but there is a lot of talk at the moment about where Payne’s future will be.

“It will be a catastrophic blow for them if they lose Payne. He’s so good.”

The comments came after Haas finished with a whopping 204 running metres against the Roosters, including 78 post-contact metres from 14 runs.

Payne Haas stars in losing Broncos side

Haas also made 33 tackles including a remarkable try-saving effort to deny Roosters utility Nat Butcher from grabbing a four-pointer.

Fellow NRL great and Fox Sports commentator Benji Marshall agreed that losing Haas would be devastating for Brisbane.

“I love that performance from Brisbane for a couple of reasons,” Marshall said.

“They had a few dramas in the week and those were put to bed by their performance. They turned up and they made a statement.

“Payne Haas for me is their best player by a mile. We all know what he does on the field for them."

Brisbane's coach says the club is "sticking by" Haas and Kelly amid the video controversy, while brushing off concerns that it has affected his star forward.

"We need to support them, get around them. Make sure that they're okay," Walters said.

"Payne, he's fine. He's mentally very tough."

Backrower Kurt Capewell said the incident had been swiftly handled within the Broncos dressing room and there was no concern among the playing group about it being a distraction to their season.

"Not really any disruption to be honest," Capewell said of the week leading into the Roosters game.

"The boys handled it really well.

"They obviously stood up and apologised to everyone for their actions and copped it on the chin like they should have and we move forward.

If Haas is suspended, he'll be missing for next weekend's daunting road trip to face premiers Penrith.

with AAP

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