Payne Haas is a professional rugby league player who currently plays a prop for the Brisbane Broncos, and both Australia and Samoa at the international level.
Coming through as a young schoolboy, Payne has realised the potential he showed many years ago. Undoubtedly one of the best props in the National Rugby League, Haas has also won a lot of individual awards and trophies.
With every game Haas plays, his popularity rises, and his career moves closer to becoming one of the greatest in history. Over the years, he has built a massive following among fans, and his on-field success has drawn significant attention off the pitch.
More importantly, Haas has made his family, which is also a big part of his career, central to his life, and he shares a lot about his personal life. When he goes on vacation, he sometimes appreciates the game for making it possible.
“Footy funds it. 🫶🏾❤️🩹😂🫣” he said, appreciating the game, following his family vacation in April.
Indeed, Haas has made significant progress in his career and in his personal life, friendships, family, and children. Here is more about the talented prop, Payne Haas.
PROFILE SUMMARY
Full name: Payne Haas
Date of birth: 2 December 1999
Age: 26
Place of birth: Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia
Father: Gregor Johann Haas
Mother: Uiatu Joan Taufua
Wife: Leilani Mohenoa
Children: Lalita and Luckee
Height: 1.94 m
Weight: 117 kg
Position(s): Prop
PAYNE HAAS’S AGE AND EARLY LIFE
The talented footy player, Payne Haas, was born on 2 December 1999. Payne Haas was born in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, where he started playing rugby as a young boy. From such an early age, Payne showed top talent, which attracted a lot of attention.
Growing up, he enrolled at Keebra Park State High School, where he developed as a player. He outclassed most of his age-mates and was selected for the Australian Schoolboys in 2026. He received significant interest from several NRL teams and abroad, but he chose the Brisbane Broncos in 2018.
PROFESSIONAL CAREER
After joining the Broncos as a young player, Haas grew in his trade, pushing in the academy and became one of the best. He went on to have his first NRL debut for the Broncos against the South Sydney Rabbitohs in 2018. On his debut, veteran commentator Phil Gould remarked that it was the birth of a superstar.
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He went on to play two more games before he suffered a season-ending shoulder injury. Since then, he has become a big part of the Broncos squad, as one of their first names on the teamsheet.
In February 2026, he announced he would leave the Brisbane Broncos at the end of the 2026 season. After that, the Sydney Rabbitohs announced that he would be joining them for the 2027 season in a 3 year contract.
At the international level, Payne represented both Australia and Samoa.
ONE OF THE MOST DECORATED PROPS IN THE NRL
With such a career, Payne Haas, coming through as a 16-year-old player, has won several individual awards and team trophies. Despite being only 26, Haas is already among the most decorated NRL props in history.
The talented prop won his first award in 2017, scooping the Brisbane Broncos U20S Best Forward, and also made it into the Holden Cup Team Of The Year.
He came stronger in 2019 and won several awards, making it one of his most successful years. Haas won the following individual and team awards.
- Brisbane Broncos Fan Player
- Brisbane Broncos Player’s Player
- Brisbane Broncos Player Of The Year
- Dally M Rookie Of The Year
- Dally M Prop Of The Year
- RLPA Dream Team Prop
- PM’s XIII Test Winner
- Pacific Championship Winner
- State Of Origin Series Winner
After a top year in 2019, Haas went on to have another decent year in 2020, winning several awards as well. He won the Brisbane Broncos Player’s Player, Brisbane Broncos Player Of The Year, and the Brisbane Broncos Best Forward.
In 2021, he returned to his top form and won several awards. Once again, among his best years, with six major achievements.
- Brisbane Broncos Player’s Player
- Brisbane Broncos Player Of The Year
- Dally M Prop Of The Year
- RLPA Dream Team Prop
- Brisbane Broncos Best Forward
- Brisbane Broncos Play Of The Year
- State Of Origin Series Winner
Come 2022, Payne Haas showed his quality as one of the best props in the NRL. He won the Brisbane Broncos Player Of The Year, Dally M Prop Of The Year, and the Brisbane Broncos Best Forward.
In 2023, Haas had another top year, one of his best among 2019 and 2021, with a lot of success.
- Brisbane Broncos Player’s Player
- Brisbane Broncos Player Of The Year
- Dally M Prop Of The Year
- RLPA Dream Team Prop
- Brisbane Broncos Best Forward
- Battle Medal
- NRL Grand Finalist
In 2024, Payne Haas looked quite good and only won the Pre-Season Challenge and the State of Origin Series.
However, he went on to have an amazing 2025, with so much success, showing how much he had grown as a prop, winning the following:
- Brisbane Broncos Player’s Player
- Brisbane Broncos Player Of The Year
- Dally M Prop Of The Year
- RLPA Dream Team Prop
- Brisbane Broncos Best Forward
- Carl Webb Medal
- NSW True Blue Award
- NRL Grand Finalist
- Pre-Season Challenge Winner
- NRL Premiership
Undoubtedly one of the best props the NRL has ever seen, Haas not only played well but also had a lot of controversy in his career journey.
PAYNE HAAS’S CONTROVERSIES
As a young player, Haas was suspended for four games and fined $20,000 by Brisbane for failing to comply with investigations involving family members.
In 2020, he fought with longtime rival Tino Fa’asuamaleaui during the second State of Origin Game of the 2020 Series.
In January 2021, he intimidated police at Tweed Heads. He also got fined $50 000 for once again intimidating the police and a three-game suspension.
In April 2022, he was put under investigation after a video came out showing that he had been involved in a drunk fight with teammate Albert Kelly.
PAYNE HAAS’S FAMILY HISTORY AND ETHNICITY
The talented prop comes from a highly controversial family, with his mother and father both arrested. Payne Haas is of Samoan, Swiss, and Filipino descent, from both his mother’s and his father’s backgrounds.
His mother is Uiatu Joan Taufua, a Samoan woman. Joan was convicted after she assaulted the security guards. Later that year, she was once again involved in a high-speed car crash on the Gold Coast that resulted in three deaths, after allegedly fleeing from police. She was eventually charged with three counts of manslaughter and dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, evading police and driving without a driver’s licence. Joan remains in custody as of 2026.
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Payne Haas’s father is Gregor Johann, a Filipino-Swiss man and alleged Sinaloa Cartel member. Like his partner, Joan, Gregor also has his own issues. In 2024, he was arrested in the Philippines and accused of running drugs in Indonesia and faces the death penalty if extradited and convicted there.
However, the Philippines and Indonesia discussed a prisoner exchange involving Gregory Johann Hass and Alice Guo.
Payne has his brother, Klese Haas, who is also a professional footy player and currently plays for the Gold Coast Titans in the NRL. He also has two young brothers with whom he stays after the incarceration of his parents. He has since become their legal guardian.
The Haas brothers have shown several times how close they are, forming a bond between themselves.
PAYNE HAAS’S PARTNER AND CHILDREN
With his controversial parents all away on crime allegations, Haas has found a pillar of strength in his partner and kids. Even though he is not yet married, Payne Haas is in love and engaged to his longtime partner, Leilani Mohenoa.
Leilani and Payne got back together in 2023, during an expensive vacation in Queensland. The two lovebirds have two children: their first daughter, Lalita, born in 2021, and a son, Luckee, born in 2024.
As a family, Payne and Leilani have proved to be a pillar for each other. Leilani came out several times, showing Haas the support he needed and praising his mental strength despite the many family issues he faced.
She also goes to games, supporting him in good and bad times, becoming one of the most important people in Haas’ life.
PAYNE HAAS’S RELIGION
In 2019, Payne Haas converted to Muslim, a decision he values as one of the best he has ever made. Since then, Payne Haas has lived a religious life alongside his partner and children.
He always attends religious activities whenever he has some free time. He has also revealed his religious name, Hakeem, and has been using it in most of his social activities, including on social media.