Samoa have suffered a huge blow ahead of the Rugby League World Cup, with star forward Payne Haas set to miss the tournament after being forced to undergo surgery for a finger injury.
Haas has been carrying the injury for some time, continuing to play through the issue in order to finish his Broncos career on the field.
Brisbane coach Michael Maguire confirmed the injury and the prop's toughness.
“Payne has had a finger injury for a little while, and he's been bravely playing on,” Broncos coach Michael Maguire revealed to CODE Sports.
“I guess it's up to him whether he wants to play in the World Cup, but at some stage he will need surgery. It's been bothering him, so he definitely needs an operation.”
Haas' absence will be a significant loss for Samoa, who are set to have a competitive outfit for this year's campaign.
There was speculation that Haas would turn his allegiance back to Australia, originally making the switch to Samoa before last year's Pacific Championships; however, he confirmed his loyalty is now with the Polynesian island/
“I want to represent my mum, my grandmother and my grandad as well, and there is no way in hell that I would do that,” Haas said to CODE Sports.
The Broncos did not qualify for the finals this season, meaning Haas' final appearances for the club will come in the next three rounds before he makes the move to the South Sydney Rabbitohs.
His decision to join the Rabbitohs next season was one of the biggest signings of the NRL season, with the powerhouse forward set to headline a new-look South Sydney pack.
However, before making the move to Redfern, Haas will now turn his attention to recovering from surgery after playing through the injury to ensure his Broncos career was not cut short.
