Brisbane to discipline wayward star

Payne Haas will face disciplinary action from the Broncos following his arrest in Northern New South Wales over the weekend, according to club CEO Paul White.

The Brisbane star was arrested in Tweed Heads on Saturday night after he allegedly abused and intimidated police officers.

He is due to appear in court on the 2nd of February.

Speaking to the media on Monday morning, White admitted that the 21-year-old had had a rough last six months, but that it wasn't an excuse for his behaviour.

“He lost his brother, who he was extremely close to but again the circumstances surrounding his arrest over the weekend, he had control.

“He had some control over what actions he took on that night, albeit being affected by alcohol.

“He made some poor decisions and he’ll need to face the consequences of those through the court proceedings, but also an NRL investigation as well."

Haas joined the Broncos in 2016 after playing in the Australian Schoolboys team and made his full NRL debut in 2018.

He was a standout for the Brisbane in season 2020 even though the side claimed their first ever wooden spoon in history, winning just three games.

The incident on Saturday wasn't Haas' first behavioural incident, with the young gun suspended for four games and fined $20,000 in 2019 for failing to comply with the NRL's integrity unit following a family feud.

Despite confirming that the club will be taking action, White still doesn't know how severe the punishment will be as of yet.

“We’re not just jumping straight to what a sanction might look like.

“We’re looking at what are the opportunities for learning right here and right now.

“Too many times, you deal with a sanction and think that’s it.”

The Broncos will be wanting to bounce back comprehensively with new coach Kevin Walters taking over the reins for the 2020 season and beyond, and there is no question that Walters will not want to have to deal with incidents like this on a consistent basis if the club are to improve.