The $3 million decision: Payne Haas nears call on R360 move

News Correspondent
The $3 million decision: Payne Haas nears call on R360 move image

Payne Haas has spent the past seven seasons redefining what a modern NRL forward looks like - a 25-year-old cornerstone of the Broncos, a five-time Dally M prop of the year, and a player whose weekly stat lines feel like they're pulled from a video game.

But as Samoa heads into the Pacific Championships final, Haas is weighing up a decision that could change both his career and the recruitment landscape of rugby league.

And at the centre of it all stands R360 - the Saudi-backed, private-equity-funded competition determined to disrupt rugby codes globally.

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The Daily Telegraph is reporting that R360 officials believe Haas could be part of their inaugural group of signings.

They are reportedly ready to table a deal worth up to $3 million per season - and that figure could become even more attractive when tax incentives are factored in.

For perspective, Brisbane has already made Haas the most expensive forward in the club's history on more than $1 million per year.

The NRL have responded by communicating that any player who negotiates with R360 risks a decade-long ban.

R360 reportedly expects to announce their first wave of signees in the next couple of weeks, with Haas believed to be weighing up his decision after Samoa's final.

A World Cup appearance for the Pacific nation could be enough to entice the towering prop to stick around in rugby league.

But if he does decide to take his talents to the 15-man code, both the reigning champions Brisbane, and the NRL, will be left with a giant hole in their stocks.

News Correspondent

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