\u201cIt is a bit strange without knowing the full details and facts. Normally, when your club wins a premiership and they have been to two grand finals in three years, the value of your players rises, it\u2019s constantly rising with the salary cap and you are constantly under pressure to keep players.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut Payne Haas is the peg in the ground, a long-term player. If you have Payne Haas in your stable, you do not lose Payne Haas. He is the world\u2019s best prop and anyone who wants to argue that doesn\u2019t know rugby league. It is puzzling why he has left. I don\u2019t think it was about money, so what was it about? We are probably never going to know.<\/p>\n
![\"Brisbane](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/13bdafb4fa4e0ae87fa652b87942e90a.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
\u201cHe bleeds Brisbane. It\u2019s just one of those mysteries. Some of the Souths players thought it was April Fool\u2019s Day.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt will never be revealed the exact reasons, it will just stay underwater.\u201d<\/p>\n
Walters said he had spoken to Haas since the news broke, revealing the hulking prop was under some stress but is okay.<\/p>\n
While Broncos CEO Dave Donaghy blamed Haas\u2019s exit on the distraction of R360 and shut down rumours that they had lowballed the star prop.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it\u2019s an easy thing to throw peanuts from the cheap seats, but ultimately Payne and his agent and myself have been dealing with those behind closed doors for the best part of nine months,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think unfortunately, rugby union might have done a job on us at this time, where probably for the first time ever, the R360 discussions were played out more in the media than in reality.<\/p>\n
![\"Staggs](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/984b8eff25a1e373b6d9ee1d8cb78846.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
\u201cPotentially it could\u2019ve played a role in I suppose Payne seeing himself in doing something else other than playing in a Broncos jersey, which he\u2019s done so ever since he was 18.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe presented a few options to Payne\u2019s people. We were working towards a shorter term extension, but for reasons and factors outside of our control he\u2019s decided to not continue at the club at the end of the year.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Broncos and Haas\u2019 attention now turns to the World Club Challenge against Hull KR in England next weekend before their premiership defence kicks off against the Panthers at Suncorp Stadium on March 6. <\/p>\n