The signing of the century: How Payne Haas’ Souths switch shook the NRL

Shane Richardson knows a thing or two about bringing headline acts to South Sydney.

Greg Inglis, Sam Burgess, Latrell Mitchell and, of course, Wayne Bennett joined the Rabbitohs under the veteran administrator’s watch.

But the pending arrival of Payne Haas, which has been branded as the NRL signing of the century, might just trump the lot.

“It’s a game-changer,” said Richardson, a long-time former Souths chief executive and general manager of football.

“You can do well and become a top-six side. But if you want to win it, you’ve got to have a superstar. Like last year, Reece Walsh won that premiership for Brisbane. Souths have got those players now.”

Haas, 26, is widely regarded not only as the best front-rower in rugby league, but he is also considered to be on track to becoming the greatest ever and his shock switch from defending champions Brisbane on a three-year deal has captivated the game since it was revealed on Sunday.

The fascination has only been magnified by the fact it came out of the blue.

The announcement of Haas’ relocation south after this season came only days after his Sydney-based manager Ahmad Merhi called Bennett last week.

Merhi had met with the coach previously about another of his clients, Taylan May, who had been in discussions with Souths last year before linking with Wests Tigers.

This time, the agent was coming to Bennett with a much bigger fish. He rang to set up a chat over a coffee.

Haas and Bennett had remained on close terms since the coach had lured the 16-year-old Haas to Brisbane in 2016, and Merhi wanted to gain his own understanding of the master coach’s aura.

Over the two-hour meeting that followed, Merhi also wanted to find out how long Bennett intended to stay at the Rabbitohs, particularly given conjecture that he was being lined up to become the inaugural coach of the Papua New Guinea Chiefs in 2028.

Satisfied with what he learnt, Merhi met again with Bennett two days later, this time in the company of Souths CEO Blake Solly and the club’s recruitment manager, Mark Ellison.

With the Rabbitohs having freed up salary cap space after St George Illawarra acquired their Australian international forward Keaon Koloamatangi on a five-year contract beginning in the 2027 season, an agreement was struck.

Multiple theories have been posited as to why Haas chose to leave the premiership winners, from speculation he was eager to escape the hard-nosed approach of Broncos coach Michael Maguire to suggestions of a gulf between what the two clubs could offer him financially.

They have been dismissed by the player and his manager. Haas, in a club-sanctioned interview on the Broncos website, said he had a great relationship with Maguire, and Merhi said it was not about money.

What is clear is that Haas is someone who marches to his own beat.

He attributed the decision to family reasons and a desire for a change.

The family’s life was thrust into turmoil by the incarceration of Haas’ parents. His father Gregor has been detained in the Philippines for two years, wanted by Indonesian authorities on drugs offences he denies and his mother Uiatu “Joan” Taufua is facing manslaughter charges over a 2022 car accident in which three people died.

Haas, as a result, is the legal guardian for two of his school-aged brothers, as well as raising his own two young children, and the presence of relatives in Sydney offers a support network for the NSW-born star.

“I feel like I’m being a leader. I had to lead and make that decision, and it was not just myself but my partner as well. We thought as a family that would be the best for us,” he said.

The Bennett factor, however, is undeniable – so much so that Haas’ time at Souths is effectively tied to the coach’s due to a clause in his contract permitting him to leave if Bennett does.

The 76-year-old’s deal runs until the end of the 2027 season, the same year Haas will begin playing for the Rabbitohs, but club officials are in talks with him about a one-year extension.

Richardson said the mega-signing of Haas was a tribute to the club’s leaders, the Souths brand and the culture built by co-owner Russell Crowe.

But, he said, “most importantly, Wayne Bennett. He wouldn’t be there without Wayne Bennett”.

“He really cares about a player. That’s the key to him,” Richardson said. “Players aren’t stupid. They know that. Latrell knows that, Cody [Walker] knows that, Sam Burgess knew it, and now Payne Haas will.”

Publicly, Souths have been gun shy this week, hesitant to crow about their prized future asset given the possibility of a backflip.

Haas on Monday joined his Broncos teammates on a flight to England for the World Club Challenge against Hull KR next Friday.

However, with Brisbane waiving the 10-day cooling-off period, Souths’ coup was secured and Haas’ contract with Souths could be registered.

It shapes as a player signing as significant as any in the NRL era.

Blockbuster moves in those 28 years include Sonny Bill Williams and later Cooper Cronk joining the Sydney Roosters, both of which resulted in premierships and in the case of Cronk two in a row, as well as Inglis swapping the Melbourne Storm for Souths.

The Haas deal has also drawn comparisons with Glenn Lazarus’ shift to Brisbane from the Canberra Raiders at the top of his game in 1992, after which the Bennett-coached Broncos won two consecutive titles.

Souths hope having a superstar prop of Haas’ calibre will deliver similar success more than a decade after their last grand final triumph and their only one in the past 55 years.

“Mark Ellison always says there are only two types of players. Those who have played for the red and green and those who want to,” Richardson said.

“It’s an enormous boost for the club ... if I was Blake, I think I might have had a few beers that night.”

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