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![\"Payne](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/79743385_haasp-250929_cd_0735.jpg_2025929121051.jpg\"\/)
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\n Payne Haas has been a powerhouse for the Broncos.
\n \u00a9Chloe Davis \/ NRL Images
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There is no time like the present for Payne Haas, who is keeping his focus on the here and now as he prepares for what\u2019s building as an explosive challenge \u2013 taking on Melbourne in the grand final.<\/p>\n
The fuse has well and truly been lit for a fiery encounter \u2013 especially up front \u2013 in Sunday\u2019s decider, with his NSW Blues team-mate Stefano Utoikamanu flinging pre-game thunderbolts.<\/p>\n
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Utoikamanu: “I came here to play finals footy”<\/p>\n
While he paid Haas suitable respect in saying he was looking forward to the challenge of facing off against \u201cone of the best props in the game, if not the best\u201d he told media in Melbourne he thought elements of the Brisbane team were \u201cstuck up\u201d.<\/p>\n
When presented with those comments, Haas was taken aback; but quickly reset to bring the focus back to his team.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don’t really care what they say to be honest, they can say what they want, but at the end of the day, we’ll be out there on Sunday and we’ll see if they’re still going to be throwing (that) around,\u201d Haas said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will worry about ourselves and worry about our own preparation … when that comes around, we’ll see.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don’t really care to be honest (about outside perceptions), they think we are who we are and we can’t change that.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey have got this certain image of us down there, so it is what it is. We’ll see what happens.\u201d<\/p>\n
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\n Payne Haas has been a powerhouse for the Broncos.
\n \u00a9Chloe Davis \/ NRL Images
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One of the \u2018survivors\u2019 of Brisbane\u2019s gut-wrenching grand final loss to the Nathan Cleary inspired Panthers in 2023, while others in the Broncos squad have spoken on their reflections of that game, Haas himself hasn\u2019t looked back, preferring to live in the moment, which for him now is nailing his preparations.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt feels good (to be back into a grand final);\u201d Haas said.<\/p>\n
\u201cObviously it’s great and I’m just trying to be present now, enjoy this and enjoy the build-up and try and get our bodies right and now, our preparation.<\/p>\n
\u201cI’ve been asked this a bit already (about the 2023 loss), but \u2026 I’m not really thinking about it.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe’re a new team and I feel like that’s in \u201923. We’re a new team now and we’re just focused on the present and focusing on our own preparation.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe know if we get our game on, we’ll get it done.\u201d<\/p>\n
Haas comes into the decider off the back of an astonishing performance which has been lauded as one of the best ever from a front rower, playing a full 80 minutes to produce 182 run metres, 82 post-contact metres, four tackle breaks and 46 tackles.<\/p>\n
While the stats tell much of the story, off the ball he stood up as well, being the first to run to put pressure Cleary as he attempted to set up for a two-point field goal in an effort to draw scores level at 16-16 in the closing minutes, in a game Brisbane won 16-14.<\/p>\n
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Nathan Cleary heaps praise on herculean Haas<\/p>\n
Now one win away from achieving his ultimate goal of a premiership title, once again, Haas was careful not to be thinking too far ahead and also dismissed his side\u2019s recent success against the Storm.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe spoke about last week as well (not thinking too far ahead),\u201d Haas said.<\/p>\n
\u201cHeading into Penrith, I think I was enjoying it and enjoying the challenge and just enjoying it together and worrying about our preparation. And when Sunday comes around, we’ll worry about them.<\/p>\n
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\n ![\"Payne](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/79744578_hass-p-250928_zm_-dsc_9364_2025929173958.jpg\"\/)
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\n Payne Haas with the ball for the Broncos.
\n \u00a9Zain Mohammed \/ NRL Images
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\u201c(Last time we beat Melbourne) they didn’t have Harry Grant, so I’m not going to really look too much into (that result).<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have great battles and they’re always up for this game and we are too and we know the rivalry we have.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt’s a great challenge and we love versing them.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think that’s the same this week and (for us to) not to get carried away in all of this and keep the main thing the main thing and that\u2019s winning the grand final.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"There is no time like the present for Payne Haas, who is keeping his focus on the here…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":180654,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[568],"tags":[64,63,761,762,158,85],"class_list":{"0":"post-180653","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nrl","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-national-rugby-league","11":"tag-nationalrugbyleague","12":"tag-nrl","13":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/180653","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=180653"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/180653\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/180654"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=180653"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=180653"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=180653"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}