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"Best front rower of all time": Massive praise for Haas after prelim heroics
Sam Kosack • September 29th, 2025 6:22 pm
SEN’s Jimmy Smith has declared Payne Haas the best front rower of all time after the prop’s incredible performance in yesterday’s preliminary final.
Haas was instrumental in the Broncos advancing to their second grand final in three years, playing the full 80 minutes in gruelling heat.
The front rower had 18 hit ups, 46 tackles with no misses, and 182 metres, 82 of which being post-contact metres.
“Payne Haas, he just redefines what final performances for middle forwards are in the modern era,” Smith said on SEN 1170 Afternoons.
“80 minutes, 20 carries, 182 run metres, 82 post-contact metres.
“He nearly had more post-contact metres than Jordan Riki had metres. No slight on Jordan Riki, that's just what Payne Haas does.
“4 tackle breaks and offload. 46 tackles in the middle of the field. In absolute sapping conditions, zero misses.
“If you think you're seeing the best front rower of all time, trust your gut.
“Payne Haas is a better front rower than Glenn Lazarus, he's better than Petero Civoniceva, he's better than Shane Webcke, of that I have zero doubt.
“(Arthur) Beetson had that element of ball-playing that was famed, Payne doesn’t have that, but Payne can do a lot of things that Arthur couldn’t do.
“At this stage, I’m more than happy to say statistically, Payne Haas is the greatest front rower we've ever seen.”
Even after 80 minutes, the fitness and athleticism of Haas was abundantly on display, sprinting 20 metres to be the first player to Nathan Cleary in the final seconds, ultimately denying the clutch halfback an opportunity to nail a 40-metre field goal.
Broncos' legend Corey Parker praised Haas's effort in the final moments of the game.
"(An) 80-minute performance, the fact he was there to save the kick... (and) to tackle Nathan back over the 40-metre mark just typifies where he's at as a player," Parker expressed on SENQ Breakfast.
"He is in rare air right now."
Despite being only 25-years-old, Haas has played 141 games since debuting in 2018 and has already played 17 Origin games for NSW and represented Australia on four occasions.
Haas will play for Samoa in the end-of-season Pacific Championships.
