Are the Broncos becoming over reliant on Haas?

Following the Broncos’ disappointing 26-0 loss against the Panthers on Friday, Andrew McCullough and Corey Parker have questioned the extended use of Payne Haas on the field.

During their premiership-winning season in 2025, the star prop only played a full 80 minutes in their come-from-behind win against the Panthers in the preliminary final.

But this year, Haas has only been off the field for two minutes across their losses against Hull KR in the World Club Challenge and the Panthers showing coach Michael Maguire’s increased reliance upon the 26-year-old.

With plenty of games left in the season, McCullough believes that Michael Maguire needs to take better care of the six-time Paul Morgan Medallist to help spread the load amongst the forward pack.  

“Payne Haas once again played 78 minutes, so he’s played a whole game again,” McCullough noted post-game on SEN's Broncos Radio.

“For me, it’s not doing the right thing by the player, and we're in Round 1.

“Are you going to tell me he’s played two nearly 80-minute games to kick off their campaign, and you want to get through to the finals?

“It ain’t going to happen, plus he’s playing Origin.

“So, something has got to give, or you’ve got to trust some other players within that team.”

That would be a sentiment shared by Parker, who felt that Maguire is not as trusting of his bench to be able to take Haas off for an extended period of time.

Especially considering that he and Pat Carrigan were the only Broncos forwards to run for more than 100 metres.

“I’ve been in the position of playing 80 minutes for Brisbane and going through the work and racking up big tackle rates, racking up a lot of runs,” Parker said.

“The reason that happens is because of one simple thing, and they will never admit it.

“He does not trust his bench to go on there and do a job.

“As harsh as that sounds, until those individuals get the trust of the coach, he won’t put them on.

“Now, how do those individuals get the trust of the coach? There’s only one way. By playing.

“Because what happens is they start to get fatigued, and we go, ‘It’s another tackle for Pat Carrigan, he’s up to 30 after 30 minutes’. That’s not good for anyone.

“And then you go, ‘Well, Payne Haas at the 78th minute, what a run he has come up with’. That’s not good.

“I’d rather see Payne Haas do 15 runs, and tonight is a bit of an anomaly because they didn’t have a lot of ball because they kept dropping it.

“(But) 15 runs, for example and every one of those runs, just explosive as opposed to a lay play here or a lay play there.

“If you want a lay play, get those other guys to do it. There’s an opportunity moving forward, this is the second game now of Aublix (Tawha and) Xavier (Willason) to earn the trust.  

Their loss now sets up an important clash against the Parramatta Eels next Thursday at Suncorp Stadium, with both clubs looking for their first win of the season.