- Payne Haas spoke for the first time about his father’s arrest
- Gregor has been threatened with the death penalty.
- Haas says he never considered skipping Origin
Even when his father was arrested on drug trafficking charges and threatened with the death penalty, it never crossed Payne Haas’s mind to miss State of Origin.
Brisbane’s superstar prop was on the team bus heading to the Magic-Round clash against Manly two weekends ago when he learned his father, Gregor, had been detained in the Philippines.
For Haas, it was nothing out of the ordinary to keep going through adversity, which was then compounded by a mid-game ankle injury in a 13-12 victory.
At just 24 years old, Haas has already had to process his mother’s incarceration for her involvement in a fatal car accident, and last year saw his younger brother Zeda face drug charges that were later dropped.
Haas’s priority in difficult times has always been his two younger brothers, who live with him, and his daughter.
Payne Haas has broken his silence following his father’s arrest in the Philippines.
Gregor Haas has been threatened with the death penalty over drug charges
‘It’s a little bit complicated. Obviously everyone knows what happened,” Haas said, speaking for the first time about his father’s situation.
‘I’m just trying to look after my brothers and trying to look after my family that I have in Australia and trying to make sure they’re okay. Because what I’m going through, they’re probably going through too.’
Despite everything, football has always been a safe space for Haas.
“I obviously didn’t grow up in the best of circumstances,” he said.
‘But I always use sport or anything as a little escape from everything. I’m already more or less used to it and I’m just getting into football, and that’s football. I don’t try to lead my personal life outside of football.
“There are a lot of people who have worse things and I have been through worse things in my life.”
That’s why missing out on State of Origin this year was never an option.
Four-time Dally M Prop of the Year has become a walk-on starter for the Blues in recent years amid a dearth of other elite front-row options.
He will join newly appointed captain Jake Trbojevic in the front row on June 5, and the Blues team chosen on Sunday suggests a game plan that will depend on winning the battle in the middle of the field.
Payne Haas (left) and her father Gregor pictured at the 2019 Dally M Awards
“I want to be here,” Haas said.
“This is what you want to do and why you play rugby league as a kid, you want to play State of Origin.” It never crossed my mind not to play. “I am privileged and blessed to be able to do that now.”
The Broncos have supported Haas in his time of need, with Haas highlighting coach Kevin Walters, executive director Dave Donaghy and education and welfare manager Adam Walsh as three pillars of support outside of the player group.
‘There are so many people I can name on the Broncos. “They’ve been very good to my family and me,” he said.
But in Origin I, there will be no love between Haas and his Brisbane teammates Pat Carrigan, Selwyn Cobbo and Reece Walsh, who line up for Queensland.
“When we’re on the field, there are no teammates,” Haas said.
