Payne Haas delivers dagger to Kevin Walters with eye-opening comments about Broncos culture

Payne Haas has inadvertently sunk the boot into former Brisbane coach Kevin Walters after admitting the standards at Broncos training were not up to scratch at times during a disappointing NRL season in 2024. Walters was sacked after the underperforming Broncos went from grand finalists in 2023 to finishing 12th and missing out on the finals completely this year.

Former NSW mentor Michael Maguire was brought in as Brisbane's new coach with a remit of improving the culture and standards at the club - two areas that came under major criticism. And Haas has revealed that his time working with Maguire in State of Origin camp with the Blues showed him exactly what the Broncos were missing, with the prop admitting Brisbane "needed to work harder" at training.

“I was watching some of the other boys in the NSW team. The way they did things... I felt like we could be doing things better at the Broncos,” Haas told The Courier Mail. “I took away a lot from what ‘Madge’ (Maguire) said and what he stands for. That Origin camp made me think about how I should approach being in this team.”

Haas' admission is not a great reflection on the final season of Walters' coaching tenure, but Maguire has wasted little time stamping his mark on the squad after completing his first full week of pre-season training with the squad. Maguire has given his players a baptism of fire by putting them through their paces with some gruelling sessions in the oppressive Brisbane heat.

It reportedly led to concerns from the NRL around whether the Broncos were following strict new guidelines around player safety, implemented after the tragic death of former Manly player Keith Titmuss at pre-season training in 2020. But Broncos CEO Dave Donaghy insisted the club were fully aware of the new guidelines and ensured that player safety was of utmost importance.

Payne Haas says the Broncos need 'tough' training sessions

Nevertheless, some Broncos players have reportedly been seen using vomit buckets during their gruelling pre-season sessions as the era of hard work under Maguire takes shape. Haas admits there have been some "tough" sessions already with the new coach but says the intensity and no-nonsense approach is "what we need at the Broncos."

Haas didn't play for the Kangaroos in their victorious Pacific Championship campaign after undergoing surgery on a foot fracture, in a bid to be ready the 2025 season. The hulking prop has also revealed he's staying off alcohol as he looks to get back into shape under Maguire.

“That’s helped me a lot with my recovery. I’ll put myself on a drinking ban, which I don’t want to talk too much about in public," he told The Daily Telegraph. Speaking about his injury, Haas admitted he "shouldn't have played" in round 26 when he was feeling pain in his foot but the lure of trying to help his side clinch a finals spot was too great.

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Regardless, Haas is ready to get on with the 2025 pre-season training and has urged his fellow teammates - to the likes of Reece Walsh and Adam Reynolds - to buy into Maguire's new ethic of hard work as the Broncos look to end a 19-year premiership drought. “I can’t wait to get back to full training. For me there’s nothing better than connecting with your teammates in pre-season and going through the blood, sweat and tears," he added. “I love being in the grind with my teammates and trying to achieve a goal together.”