Payne Haas NRL transfer news: Broncos confirm 2026 exit as Rabbitohs lodge 2027–29 deal
Payne Haas is set to leave Brisbane at the end of the 2026 NRL season after both clubs issued formal statements confirming a contract has been lodged for him to join South Sydney from 2027. The development ends weeks of speculation around “payne haas” and “payne hass” searches, shifting the story from rumor to process: a signed deal is in place, but it remains subject to the sport’s mandatory cooling-off period.
The timing is significant. The news breaks as teams finalize preparations for the 2026 campaign, and it immediately reshapes roster planning for two clubs operating under tight salary-cap and recruitment cycles.
What’s confirmed right now
In a club statement posted late Saturday in the U.S. (ET), Brisbane said Haas and his management advised the club he intends to depart at the end of the 2026 season. The statement added that a signed contract reflecting that position has been lodged with the league, and that the club will not comment further until the end of the standard 10-day cooling-off period.
South Sydney, in its own statement posted minutes earlier (local time), said it has lodged a signed contract for Haas to join the club for the 2027, 2028, and 2029 seasons. The Rabbitohs also emphasized that the contract is subject to the same 10-day cooling-off period and that it will not comment further until that window expires.
In other words: Haas is expected to remain a Bronco for 2026, with the move slated to begin in 2027 if the cooling-off period passes without change.
The cooling-off period: why it matters
The cooling-off period is a built-in circuit breaker designed to prevent rushed signings and allow clubs, players, and management to ensure paperwork and conditions are correct. It is also the window where last-minute twists can technically occur—renegotiations, clarifications, or a reversal—though those outcomes are generally uncommon once both clubs publicly confirm lodged contracts.
For fans, the practical takeaway is that the transfer is not “finalized” in the strictest administrative sense until the cooling-off period expires. For clubs, it’s the moment when contingency plans still matter: Brisbane needs certainty on how its forward rotation will be built beyond 2026, while South Sydney must map its cap and roster structure around a marquee middle forward arriving in 2027.
How this reshapes Brisbane’s roster planning
Haas has been the centerpiece of Brisbane’s middle rotation and one of the league’s most influential front-rowers, combining high-minute workloads with elite yardage, contact balance, and defensive reliability. Losing a player of that profile changes more than one position—it changes the club’s identity and match control, especially against heavyweight packs.
The immediate implication is strategic: Brisbane can’t simply “replace” Haas with one signing. The more likely approach is a mix of internal development, rotation redesign, and targeted recruitment—either one premium forward plus a specialist bench option, or two solid starters who can collectively replicate the minutes and momentum Haas generates.
What South Sydney is buying: more than meters
For South Sydney, adding Haas for 2027–29 is a move aimed at lifting weekly floor and finals ceiling. Elite middle forwards can tilt games even when attack is clunky, because they improve field position, win ruck speed, and protect halves by limiting defensive scrambling.
In roster terms, Haas also changes how a team can build around him. A dominant middle can reduce pressure on edge rotations and make playmakers’ lives easier by creating faster, shorter kick-and-chase distances and more repeatable set starts.
Timeline of key milestones (ET)
| Item | Date/Time (ET) | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| South Sydney statement posted | Sat., Feb. 7, 10:43 p.m. | Contract lodged for 2027–29, cooling-off begins |
| Brisbane statement posted | Sat., Feb. 7, 10:49 p.m. | Club confirms Haas intends to leave end of 2026 |
| Cooling-off period ends | Mid-Feb. 2026 (approx.) | Transfer becomes administratively settled if unchanged |
| Haas remains at Brisbane | 2026 season | Plays for Broncos through 2026 |
| Move scheduled to begin | 2027 season | Joins South Sydney if deal stands |
How it intersects with other recent Haas speculation
The official statements arrive after a noisy offseason that linked Haas to a range of possibilities—from short-term extensions to expansion-style pitches and code-switch chatter. Those threads may continue in talkback and social feeds, but the lodging of a multi-year 2027–29 contract reframes the conversation: the leading plan is now defined, with only the cooling-off mechanism left as the formal gate.
The next attention point is less about “where could he go” and more about “what happens next” for both squads: Brisbane’s recruitment response and South Sydney’s cap sequencing ahead of 2027.
What to watch next
Two near-term markers will show how stable the situation is: whether either club issues a brief follow-up once the cooling-off period expires, and whether Brisbane begins making visible roster moves that signal confidence in life after Haas.
If the deal holds, the league’s transfer landscape for 2027 effectively changes overnight—because there aren’t many players who can alter a premiership equation with one signature the way a prime middle forward can.
Sources consulted: Brisbane Broncos; South Sydney Rabbitohs; National Rugby League; Fox Sports Australia
