Haas signing exposes huge Rabbitohs weakness

Matty Johns fears the Rabbitohs’ addition of Payne Haas may have exposed a weakness of the South Sydney roster that could be exploited by rival clubs.

The Brisbane Broncos confirmed on SENQ Breakfast, the club had waived the 10-day cooling off period, locking in Haas’s transfer to the South Sydney Rabbitohs in 2027.

Haas joins a roster stacked with talent, including Latrell Mitchell, Cameron Murray, and Jack Wighton, amongst others, but upon greater inspection, the cracks in the roster emerge.

Only four of the Rabbitohs current top 30 is contracted beyond the end of 2027, leaving the club open to poaching, which is only left more possible due to the salary cap squeeze the club are working with with several stars on a million dollars a season.

The four contracted beyond 2027 are captain Cameron Murray, Tevita Tatola, Lachlan Hubner, and Jye Gray; the latter being the only player contracted beyond 2028.

Stars Latrell Mitchell, Brandon Smith, David Fifita, Jack Wighton, Campbell Graham and Jai Arrow are some of the players able to negotiate with rivals on November 1, while a host of talented juniors are off contract at season’s end.

It makes the next eight months crucial for Rabbitohs' officials who will be hoping to extend their host of stars before they are able to negotiate with rivals, given the heavy price tag they may come with.

SEN’s Matty Johns believes the Haas signing could lead to clubs’ poaching players but also sees the appeal playing with Payne Haas could bring big name players.

“Whether by design or they've just found themselves here, (South Sydney) have left themselves (vulnerable) to a certain degree,” Johns told SEN 1170 Drive.

“There's going to be a massive turnover on their roster.

“But this is a bloke, he's like the honey pot, he'll attract the bees. (If) you're a young playmaker… and someone's offering you 700k and the (Rabbitohs are) offering you 600k and you're gonna play with David Fifita and Payne Haas, it's pretty attractive.”

Mitchell and Fifita would be the most likely to re-sign with the Rabbitohs given how crucial their relationship with Haas was to Souths landing one of the biggest signings in NRL history.

Fifita and Haas are friends from high school, and former Rabbitohs’ player of the year Bryan Fletcher would like to see the old peers link together in a new position.

“I want South Sydney to consider putting David Fifita in the front row,” Fletcher said on SEN 1170 Drive.

“Because one of the things about him at the Titans, they were saying he wasn't getting the ball.

“Whether or not he wasn't calling the ball… here you can't hide.

“Imagine having him just off the cos his leg speed is so quick into them, just give me 20 minutes, I just, I just think that would help South cos they're a bit light up front anyway.”

Johns agreed the move would benefit Fifita in his quest to reignite his career under Wayne Bennett.

“I think it'll help Dave too because if you're a back rower on the edge, it takes a little bit to get the ball there… and that gives outside defenders, even the smaller blokes, an opportunity to get up and into his face, where you see Dave's best stuff.

“This is where I look at Dave sometimes and it's frustrating. Sometimes I look at Dave and I think, does he know what works for him? Because his best stuff is (when) someone will throw him a ball, it'll bounce along the ground, he'll just pick it up and then just go whoosh and take off.

“You get a lot more of that sort of broken ball through the middle and when he's in the middle, he's not going to have to rely on a creative player to get him the football.

“Even with Dave, it's as simple as this, if there's a good go forward mate just go into dummy half if you want, scoop it and just go.”