June 16, 2026 — 5:00am
Melbourne: Payne Haas has credited a Queensland Origin legend for helping him tap into his leadership qualities – and it could come back to haunt the Maroons on Wednesday night.
The return of star prop Haas from a knee injury will provide a huge boost to NSW’s bid to wrap up the series in Melbourne.
The 26-year-old knows he is entering the prime of his career as a front-rower – but also thanked former Broncos coach and Queensland great Kevin Walters for forcing him to become a leader of men, which was one of the last parts of his game open to improvement.
“I never thought of myself as a leader, and it was only the last couple of years or so I’ve taken on that responsibility a bit more – being that leader has actually helped my footy,” Haas told this masthead.