Payne Haas shares wonderful news with partner as NRL makes call on Ben Hunt's Broncos contract

Brisbane prop Payne Haas and his partner Leilani Mohenoa have been showered with congratulatory messages from around the NRL world after announcing the birth of their second child. And the Broncos have cause for more celebrations after Ben Hunt's deal to rejoin the club was officially rubber-stamped. It comes after Haas and his partner welcomed a baby boy named Luckee earlier this month, with the proud dad posting a series of heartwarming photos on his Instagram account.

Luckee was born on December 5 after arriving into the world nine days earlier than expected, with Haas sharing a series of black and white photos of the couple's bundle of joy on December 12. The happy snaps included a couple of beautiful moments between the couple's first-born daughter Lalita, 3, and her new baby brother.

One of the photos shows Lalita cuddling up to her new sibling on the couch, with another one showing her planting a kiss on little Luckee's forehead. Haas and his partner Leilani captioned the Instagram post with: "Luckee meets Lala", followed by her newborn's date of birth and a love heart emoji.

The couple's wonderful news prompted a flood of messages in the comments section as friends, family and fellow rugby league stars congratulated the family on their latest addition. Latrell Mitchell, Kurt Capewell, David Fifita and Tristan Sailor were among the league stars to send their love and support, with the Brisbane Broncos writing: "Welcome to the family, Luckee".

Haas and his partner revealed publicly in November that they were expecting a second child after welcoming their daughter Lalita in May 2021. The towering Broncos prop spoke to The Courier Mail at the time about the excitement around Luckee's impending arrival. “I’m going to be a dad again, I’m ready for more chaos,” Haas said at the time. “I love having a daughter, so it’s going to be a different experience having a son. He’s due around December 14, but he might come sooner because he’s already pretty big.”

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Luckee's birth caps off a rollercoaster year for Haas, who helped the Blues win the State of Origin series but was powerless to stop the Broncos finishing 12th and missing out on the finals. Haas has also had a turbulent year off the field, with his mother awaiting trial over a fatal car crash and his father charged with alleged drug trafficking, leaving Haas to take up legal guardianship of his two younger brothers.

NRL rubber-stamps Ben Hunt's deal with the Broncos

The Broncos have also officially welcomed another addition to their family, with the NRL finally rubber-stamping Ben Hunt's return to Red Hill. Brisbane announced last month that they'd signed Hunt from the Dragons on a deal reportedly worth $600,000 per season, despite his previous contract with St George Illawarra standing at $950,000 per season. It came after the Bulldogs, Roosters and Dolphins all showed interest in signing Hunt.

The move reportedly led to backlash from rival clubs about how Brisbane were able to land a representative player on what appeared to be a cut-price deal, with the NRL's salary cap auditor going over the contract with a fine tooth comb. But after analysing key metrics such as his market value and the fact Hunt turns 35 in March - the NRL has officially given the green light to register the contract.

Hunt is set to commence pre-season training with the Broncos in January after enjoying a well-earned break off the back of the Kangaroos' victorious Pacific Championships campaign. With Ezra Mam expected to be sidelined for the first couple of months - pending the outcome of his drug-driving court case - Hunt is expected to slot into the halves alongside Brisbane captain Adam Reynolds. The Maroons star will likely slot into the hooking role when Mam returns.