Payne Haas’ manager says the chance for the superstar prop to reunite with Wayne Bennett is the driving force behind his shock signing with South Sydney and that there is no chance of his client backflipping during the 10-day cooling-off period.
Haas’ decision to leave Brisbane at the end of the season to join the Rabbitohs on a three-year contract caught the rugby league world off guard. The man who brokered the deal, his agent Ahmad Merhi, doused a string of rumours – including that Haas had fallen out with Broncos coach Michael Maguire or that money was the driving factor – in coming to the decision.
“He’s wired a little bit differently, he wants to be uncomfortable. He’s not dissatisfied [at Brisbane], it’s all about growth for him,” Merhi said. “Wayne Bennett was the key factor.
“He’s achieved what he’s wanted to achieve, he’s always had the dream of winning a grand final. He’s been there for 10 years, it’s more about challenging himself.
“He believes he can win another grand final with the Brisbane Broncos.
“The principal reason is Wayne Bennett. Wayne started his career, Wayne has remained a presence during his career and that relationship hasn’t stopped regardless of where Wayne has gone.
Broncos prop Payne Haas.Credit: Steven Siewert
“I was pretty surprised by that relationship when Payne was explaining it to me, so I personally took some time out to meet Wayne and understand who he is. I met with him on two occasions, spent a couple of hours with him and then understood who he was and the pull he has with players wanting to play with him.”
Merhi was quick to quash speculation that the move was due to a fallout with Maguire.
“When it comes to ‘Madge’, the word around town for however long he has been coaching is that he is tough,” Merhi said.
“I don’t dispute that he’s a tough coach, but you’ll never get a tougher bloke than Payne Haas. He’s not tougher than Payne Haas. It’s a narrative, but I think it’s disrespectful to Payne, to be honest, that he left because the coach is too tough. It doesn’t stack up.”
‘Once Payne gives you his handshake, there are no backflips. The decision is done.’
Payne Haas’ agent Ahmad Merhi
Under the NRL rules, Haas has 10 days, from the moment he signed the contract, to change his mind. However, Merhi said that won’t be happening.
“No. We comprehensively went through this, we knew what the outcome was going to be when he signed,” Merhi said.
“We went through the processes of the NRL with the 10-day cooling-off period and what it was, we anticipated what was going to come back.
“There’s no turning back from this situation. Once we reached clarity, the decision didn’t waiver. We met with the parties, we spoke and we shook hands. Our handshake is real – I can tell you that once Payne gives you his handshake, there are no backflips. The decision is done.”
Merhi confirmed that Haas’ future is connected to Bennett’s, with an option in his Rabbitohs contract to leave if the seven-time premiership-winning coach isn’t there. However, he labelled speculation of an exit clause linked to a potential move to Rugby 360 as innuendo.
“No, there’s no get-out clause in relation to that at all,” he said.
Haas has a unique family situation; his parents are in jail and he is the legal guardian of some of his siblings. Some pundits figured those family ties would keep him in Brisbane, but Merhi said that’s only part of the story.
“What people don’t understand is that he has more family members across the border,” he said.
“Don’t forget that he originates from NSW, that’s why he plays for them. He only has [brother] Klese up there, everyone else is on the other side of the border. His partner’s family is all from the Northern Beaches. So he’s coming back to NSW.”
Payne Haas in action for Samoa.Credit: Getty Images
Merhi said there was no animosity towards Brisbane and that the Blues front-rower wanted to leave Red Hill with another premiership ring.
“The Brisbane Broncos have done nothing wrong, they’ve always been professional,” he said.
“I’ve built a great relationship with their CEO, Dave Donaghy. There’s no fallout, there’s no blame. A lot of the media coverage coming out has been innuendo …
“The central driver was Wayne, who had been in communication with him for years and years.
“That’s the decision. He’s the one that got this deal across the line.”
It’s been reported that Haas had taken a new name, Hakeem Haas, as part of his devotion to Islam, although Merhi said it wasn’t a new development.
“His [social media] profile has been changed to that for six months and his name has always been like that since he became Muslim,” he said.
Most Viewed in Sport
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: www.smh.com.au
