Brisbane Broncos star Payne Haas may be on the verge of testing the open market, with reports surfacing that his manager has approached rival clubs about a potential move.
During Fox League's Super Saturday broadcast, James Hooper revealed that while the Broncos are currently in negotiations with Haas, his manager has started laying the groundwork for a possible departure.
"There’s talk that his agent has gone to all the other rival clubs and said, look, Payne is off-contract as of 2027 and if anybody wants to express interest that door is open," he said.
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This news comes amid increasing pressure on the team who are riding a four-match losing streak.
"The rumblings coming out of Red Hill at the moment are ugly and as the losses mount, the noise will only increase," said Hooper.
"Madge [Michael Maguire] has got to very quickly try and get some fun and some life and frivolity back into going to training and trying to win games because it doesn’t look good at the moment."
The 25-year-old, who is fresh off a man-of-the-match performance in the State of Origin series opener, is set to come off contract at the end of the 2026 season, meaning he is free to negotiate with other clubs from November 1 of this year.
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For Brisbane fans, the idea of losing Haas - who many would argue is the best forward in rugby league - would be deeply concerning.
With rival clubs now reportedly a part of the race for Haas' signature, the battle to retain the Broncos enforcer will be one of the most important in recent NRL history.