The “freakish” athleticism of Payne Haas is inspiring his Brisbane teammates as the teenage prop prepares to play for the Broncos again.
The 19-year-old prop will start against Queensland Cup side Souths-Logan in Warwick this Saturday after an impressive off-season comeback from shoulder surgery.
Haas debuted at 18 and played just 36 action-packed minutes of NRL across three games off the bench before a shoulder dislocation eventually ruled him out for the season.
The powerhouse has since signed a six-year extension worth a reported $3 million and, having fully recovered, is in such good shape that he’s inspiring his older teammates.
“He’s got a lot of skill; he’s quick, he’s fit and it’s pretty freakish to see how quick and how fit and how big he is,” Jake Turpin, who will play hooker on Saturday, said.
“I’ve got to play big minutes so to see a 125kg prop be fitter than us is pretty extraordinary.
“A lot of young forwards are starting to look up to him and he’s only a young forward.”
Turpin and Haas are two of five players with NRL experience set to play in the first of three pre-season hit-outs – and the first for new coach Anthony Seibold.
Centre Gehamat Shibasaki and former Melbourne and South Sydney winger Richie Kennar will also see time, while Patrick Mago hopes to make an impression after breaking through for 12 senior games last season.
“It’s been a big preseason, boys are itching to get out there,” Mago said.
“I just look at him (Haas) as a freak; killing it at that weight just motivates me, a big boy running like that.”
Gold Coast halfback Tom Dearden, still just 17, will start at halfback for the Broncos while prop Andrew Savelio will hope for better luck when he returns from a knee injury suffered in last season’s corresponding trial game.
Brisbane squad to play Souths-Logan: Tesi Niu, Richie Kennar, Gehamat Shibasaki, Ed Burns, Herbie Farnworth, Troy Dargan, Tom Dearden, Payne Haas, Jake Turpin, Thomas Flegler, Andre Savelio, Jamil Hopoate, Patrick Carrigan. Bench: Kobe Hetherington, Leenan Palasia, Jordan Grant, Patrick Mago, Ethan Bullemor, Tanah Boyd, Cory Paix, Xavier Coates, Ilikena Vudogo.
