Payne Haas of the Broncos and the NSW Blues is facing uncertainty following a suspected knee injury sustained during their closely contested 21-20 victory against the Tigers. Haas exited the field in the first half after an awkward tackle, where he was challenged by three Tigers defenders while making a strong run through the centre at Campbelltown Stadium.
In a moment of intense play, Royce Hunt grabbed Haas’ legs, causing him to fall awkwardly as the weight of the defenders forced his knee into a troubling position. Although visibly in pain, Haas attempted to shake off the discomfort before ultimately leaving the field for good.
Commentators noted the seriousness of the situation, with Fox Sports’ Andrew Voss describing Haas as a “crumpled figure,” and Panthers great Greg Alexander expressing concerns over seeing Haas down, implying that such scenes are rare in professional rugby league.
As the first half came to a close, it was confirmed by Fox Sports’ Tiana Penitani Gray that Haas would not return to the match. Meanwhile, his team, the Broncos, found themselves locked in a thrilling encounter. They started the second half with an 18-14 lead but faced mounting pressure from the Tigers, who equalised when Api Koroisau scored in the 54th minute, pushing ahead with Adam Doueihi’s successful conversion.
The match saw further twists, with Adam Reynolds scoring a penalty goal to equalise once more in the 67th minute. Reynolds later added the decisive field goal, sealing the Broncos’ triumph. An apparent late try from Josiah Karapani could have secured the victory comfortably, but was disallowed due to a forward pass call.
Despite the tense atmosphere at the sold-out Campbelltown crowd, the Broncos managed to fend off the Tigers’ advances, achieving their fourth win of the season while fans were left hoping for good news regarding Haas’ injury following his scans.