Haas’ agent Ahmad Merhi is in contract talks with Donuts today:
“Payne actually got an offer from an NFL club. They called me in March. They felt Payne had the size and dimensions to make it, but their roles seem pretty structured to me. The NFL team was genuine about taking him overseas to a camp. They wanted Payne to go to a testing camp outside the US where they bring in different athletes from sports around the world. The NFL team made the offer but I said what if Payne doesn’t even pass the camp or would that team really take a chance on him, we can’t take that risk."
“The NFL have scouts around the world and they thought Payne had potential, but Payne shut it down pretty quickly, so it shows this is not just about the money for him.”
“My gut feeling is he will stay at the Broncos."
"I don’t see that Payne has an issue with the club, but the crux of the problem in the first place was Payne feeling his deal wasn’t fair, or reflective of his performances. He loves ‘Kevvie’ and he loves the Brisbane Broncos, he loves their fans and everything about the club. We have built a pretty good relationship with the Broncos over the last three months and the people that run the show there."
“We’ve had interest from all 16 clubs, we’ve sent out an email letting the clubs know of our off-contract clients and they have all come back about Payne Haas. I honestly believe it will be very hard to get him out of there, but he just wants to tick that last box around his value. We just want transparency on his true value and Payne employs me, so he will make the final decision."
“I am being totally transparent with the Broncos and his full commitment is to Brisbane until the end of the season. He hasn’t had the chance to test his value, so we want to make sure his deal is fair on the open market and if it is, he will never complain in the future.”
“I have had interest from an international rugby outfit and their offer was huge. Payne wants to play premiership football, so it’s very easy to work out the top four sides in the comp. Last year when he looked at a release, the Broncos weren’t a finals team, but now they are a serious contender. We can’t entertain every team, but Payne is competitive and he wants to be in a successful team, which Brisbane are at the moment. I know several big clubs are keen, everyone has to look at their rosters, but Payne is happy at the Broncos and he likes playing under Kevin Walters, who is a total gentleman."
“If I get an offer from the Broncos I can’t refuse, then we would definitely sign before November 1, but right now it’s in his best interests to wait until November 1. For the moment, Payne is committed to Brisbane … his heart and soul is with them.”
