LeagueNews.co | Jess Malloy
Brisbane prop Payne Haas has agreed to a three-year contract that will see him join South Sydney and reunite with coach Wayne Bennett.
The Rabbitohs announced the 26-year-old Samoa and NSW front-rower had signed, with the deal now subject to a 10-day cooling-off period.
That procedural window seems unlikely to change his plans after the Broncos issued a statement noting "Haas and his management have advised the Broncos that he intends to depart the club at the end of the 2026 season".
Haas, who played a key role in Brisbane's 2025 premiership, chose not to extend his contract beyond the upcoming campaign.
Speculation had linked him to the proposed R360 rugby union competition and a planned PNG franchise for 2028, leaving his next move uncertain until now.
Instead Bennett, who gave Haas his NRL debut in 2018 when he was a teenager, has secured a major boost to Souths' forward stocks.
Haas's close relationship with new recruit David Fifita, a former Broncos teammate, should provide the on-field punch the Rabbitohs have sought.
The signing also comes at a timely moment as current Test forward Keaon Koloamatangi is scheduled to move to St George Illawarra next year.
South Sydney will expect Haas to bring size, experience and aggression to their pack as they plot for upcoming seasons.
The move has stunned the NRL community and will be closely watched during the short cooling-off period.