Fresh off being bowled out of the race for a spot in the NRL finals, Payne Haas is reportedly set to opt out of playing in the 2022 Rugby League World Cup.
The star forward, who was well short of his best during the final six weeks of the season as the Broncos lost five of those matches to fall out of the finals race, was set to be a walk-up start in Mal Meninga's Australian Kangaroos squad, which has lost plenty of talent to players declaring for other nations.
Instead of playing for Australia, it was reported earlier this week that Haas may follow the lead of a number of other players in declaring for Samoa.
All players under International Rugby League rules must declare their nation (when eligible for both a Tier 1 and 2 country) for a major tournament three weeks out from the start date, and can not switch nations in a calendar year.
That means the deadline for players like Haas to decide is fast approaching, however, a new Sydney Morning Herald report suggests he may opt out of the tournament all together.
It's understood family reasons could be behind his decision to opt out.
“I’ve had a conversation with Payne, he wants to play for Australia, but I also understand he has some family issues that may require his attention,” coach Mal Meninga told the publication.
“He just had a cleanout of his shoulder and wouldn’t have played in this PM’s game. I won’t push him to play. If there are personal problems there, there is no way I will pressure him.”
Haas, who has been named as part of the first 15 players in Australia's train-on squad, was an omission from the Prime Minister's XIII squad, announced on Friday as he continues to recover from a shoulder injury.
