Payne Haas has revealed he shared his selection for NSW with his jailed mother on Sunday not long after NSW coach Brad Fittler rang to tell him he had made the Blues squad.
Haas’ mother, who has been in prison since she was involved in a fatal car cash on December 30, and told her son she was proud of him during an emotional phone call on Sunday.
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Haas’ mother Joan will be cheering her son on from inside Southern Queensland Correctional Centre when the game kicks off next Wednesday.
The phone call comes at a difficult time for the Haas, whose younger brother, Zeda, was recently rushed to hospital from a suspected drug overdose.
Payne Haas’ brother hospitalised with suspected overdose
“I spoke to mum on Sunday night, and she’s fine,” said Haas said inside NSW camp.
“I told her I had made Origin, and she was really happy and stoked. She told me she loves me. That was probably the only time I’ll get to talk to her [before kick-off]. She gets one phone call. And you’d rather her spend that [call] on siblings or the kids who want to hear her voice.
“Mum never wants to talk about footy. As long as I’m staying grounded, being a good person, being good to people and not getting a big head, that’s all she cares about.”
Haas said he’s thankful his brother had learned some hard lessons and described the situations as “scary” while also revealing he had been in touch with Blues rookie Nicho Hynes, while Hynes’ mother dealt with her own trouble with the law.
“He (brother) had a mishap the other day, but he got back home that night, and thankfully he’s alright,” Haas said. “He’s still young and learning. He’ll learn from it. It’s scary at first, but once you hear from them, it makes it all better.”
Haas also doubled down on his future in the game, denying he’s had talks with Rugby after his name popped up on Rugby Australia’s radar in recent weeks.
“I haven’t spoken to anyone from rugby, I can’t talk to anyone until November 1, and I’m happy at the Broncos,” Haas said. “I played rugby when I was younger. I was a No.8. I haven’t thought about it. At the end of the day, I’m at the Broncos.”
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