Payne Haas cops Broncos warning from Darren Lockyer amid contract drama
The Brisbane great's comments come in the midst of a multi-million dollar saga around the club's biggest star.
Brisbane Broncos legend Darren Lockyer has warned the ongoing Payne Haas contract discussions could be destabilising for the club, as it chases a first premiership since 2006. Brisbane are flying high in 2023, with the form of Haas a major factor in the second-placed Broncos' charge towards the finals.
Kevin Walters' men are all but assured of a top-four finish but club great Lockyer is worried the Haas saga could prove to be a distraction and potentially derail their premiership assault. The Broncos have been trying to tie down their three-time best and fairest winner on a three-year extension worth $1.1 million per season.
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The monster deal would be the richest in Broncos history but Haas has so far rejected the offer, with his manager Ahmad Merhi indicating they would wait until November 1 to test the open market. The Bulldogs are reportedly willing to offer Haas as much as $1.4 million per season and the Melbourne Storm are also among the clubs most likely to prise the 23-year-old away from Brisbane, if he does decide to leave.
Haas' reluctance to extend with the Broncos has sparked confusion after he previously indicated that the opportunity to win a premiership was key to his decision. Brisbane appear better placed than most clubs to be able to offer Haas that chance, although the prop's manager admits "getting him an education and a job in his life after footy" will also be pivotal to any deal he signs.
The 23-year-old revealed this week he's been leaning on league and rugby legend Sonny Bill Williams for advice, but remained non-committal when asked about his future. Speaking on Nine's QLDER program, Locker said the longer the Haas contract situation drags on for, the greater potential it has to destabilise the Broncos.
Darren Lockyer's warning over Payne Haas saga
“He’s playing his 100th game for the Broncos this week, so it should all be about his milestone, not about his contract," Lockyer said. “The distraction has the potential to distract the team going into the finals.
“In a perfect world you’d find a way to get it resolved, but it seems like Payne is going to go to the market and understand what his value is out there, and maybe not just in this code.” Speaking on Tuesday, Haas said he was still on good terms with the Broncos. "I am in a dialogue with the Broncs at the moment. I have got a good relationship with Kevin and Broncs," he said.
"We both know where we are at and understand what we want. I am not going to say much more than that. I'll just focus on the game this week and celebrate the milestone."
Lockyer warned Haas that if he truly wants premiership success then he may have to settle on a smaller monetary figure at a more competitive club. The Broncos legend referenced his own dominant Brisbane side in the 90s, when players stayed for less money than they could have received elsewhere, to be part of a premiership-winning team.
“Payne has always been talking about wanting a place where he can win, well he’s in a club at the moment that can win," Lockyer added. "A lot of those players, if they go to market, they’ll get more money, but if they want to be a part of a group and if they want to stick together and achieve a lot of things consistently for a long period of time, well then they’ll have to sacrifice some money.”
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