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Topics: Australia, NRL, Brisbane Broncos
Jayden Collins
Broncos legend Corey Parker slammed Payne Haas after the player requested his immediate release from Brisbane side on Thursday.
The Broncos ultimately denied the request, following a breakdown in negotiations over a change in his contract.
A statement read: “Payne Haas is contracted to the Brisbane Broncos until the end of the 2024 NRL Season. The Club will not be entertaining a release.”
Haas is currently on $750,000 a year but is signed until the end of 2024, with the next two years seeing his pay rise to $800,000 in 2023, and $850,000 in 2024.
The prop has reportedly gained new management with the player now requesting an upgrade to $1 million in 2023 and $1.2 million in 2024, according to the Daily Telegraph.
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Broncos flat out denied the request leading to Haas wanting his release.
On NRL 360 Corey Parker, who won the 2006 NRL Premiership with the Broncos, has labelled the move ‘ridiculous’ citing all that the Broncos have done for Haas since he signed for them as a teenager.
He said: “Let’s just rewind when Payne Haas first got to the club, he was an 18-year-old, he was signed for four years after three games and a shoulder reconstruction.
“Never in the club’s history have they done that, signed a middle forward to a long-term deal on around $600,000.
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“In that time, they have off their own bat, through goodwill upgraded his deal. Normally when a club upgrades they want an extension, they didn’t do that, just upgraded.
“Since that time they’ve helped him through misdemeanours, three or four or five of those, and now he’s at a stage where he’s getting very well paid, very well paid.”
Payne Haas has been subject to two high profile incidents involving police investigation in the past two years.
In March this year, he was involved in an alleged drunken fight with teammate Albert Kelly, which was caught on camera.
While the Origin forward was also suspended by the NRL after intimidating police officers in January 2021.
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He reportedly told a female officer: “Why you looking at me like that? Cause you’re a woman? Cause you’re a woman and you think that I won’t touch ya?”
Parker called on the Broncos to release Haas with his actions coming off as ungrateful toward the club.
He continued: “I would let Payne Haas go right now, right now. I would let him go.
“There’s an argument that Payne gets what he wants but from a club’s perspective, if you have a player inside your four walls that does not want to be there, he’s thrown all the toys out of the cot, he’s said nup I want an immediate release.
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He added: “If you don’t want to play for the Broncos, don’t play. It’s just ridiculous after what the club has done for him.”