Kevin Walters has suggested there might be undisclosed reasons behind Haas's sudden exit from the Brisbane Broncos.
The former Broncos coach, who led the club from 2021 until his dismissal in 2024, expressed surprise at the move.
Walters guided the side to a grand final runner-up finish in 2023 but was sacked after Brisbane failed to make the finals the following year.
On the Inside Ball podcast he argued that the situation might have unfolded differently under his leadership.
"Yeah … but I'm not coaching there," Walters replied when questioned on whether he could've kept Haas at the Broncos.
"If I were coaching in the NRL, he would be one of the first players I would target, so hats off to Wayne Bennett."
"He has fallen in his hands, it's great for the Souths fans."
Walters also said he has reached out to Haas since the announcement, but contact has been limited.
"I haven't spoken to him, I've only texted him," Walters said.
"He is OK. There is a fair bit of stress on everyone, but he is OK."
The switch to South Sydney under coach Wayne Bennett has been widely framed as a kind of return, given Bennett's past with the powerful forward.
Walters' remarks have intensified speculation that more happened behind closed doors than the club publicly disclosed.