Brisbane Broncos star Kotoni Staggs speaks amid R360 defection rumours
“You hear and see all this, but I let Payne do his own thing,” Staggs said.
“Whatever he chooses, I will be there to support him and whatever he does.
“What he did in this game is huge, considering how old he is and the things he does every week in a Broncos uniform, if he leaves, he leaves it on good terms.”
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Haas, who took charge of Samoa in the Pacific Championship final, will not return to pre-season training until the new year and Broncos chief executive Dave Donaghy has insisted they will not open extensive extension talks with their center star until he returns.
Donaghy said: “Payne knows how we feel. We would love Payne to stay. He will take his time to get through this, there is no set timetable for us to do that.”
“He’s had a great year and I’m sure he wants to take some time to reflect on a great 2025.
“We’ll have those conversations when he gets back.”
The money offered could be very tempting for Haas, especially considering he has a young family and his younger brothers Hans and Geejay also live with him.
But Hans and Geejay’s reluctance to uproot his family due to his commitment to the Broncos’ youth development academy and the chance to build a legacy to rival the club’s dominance in the 1990s (winning five titles between 1992 and 2000) may be a factor.
Kotoni Staggs brings power and passion to Brisbane.Credit: Getty Images
“It’s up to this group whether they want to create their own era or not,” Broncos board member and four-time premiership winner Darren Lockyer said.
“We always talk about the ’90s for the Broncos, this team has the opportunity to do the same, it’s up to them.
“We love Payne and what he has done for the club over the years. He was a big part of the club and we hope he stays.”
Brisbane’s success coincided with representative honors as superstar full-backs Reece Walsh and Gehamat Shibasaki made their Kangaroos debuts in the 3-0 Ashes series victory in England.
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Staggs also completed his return to the green and gold jersey by choosing to represent Australia against Tonga.
With the Rugby League World Cup coming to Australia next year, Staggs hinted that the national colors he wears will depend on the future of the Kangaroos coach and former Broncos mentor Kevin Walters, who only signed for the Ashes campaign.
“It was nice playing with Kev again. We have a good relationship and I love being around him and coaching him. But also, if Kev stays in this role, I can’t see myself anywhere else,” Staggs said.
