Payne Haas ended his Brisbane Broncos career with a try and a 34-20 victory over the Canterbury Bulldogs, but the emotional farewell at Accor Stadium marked the end of his nine-season spell with the club.
The forward powered over from close range in the sixth minute to open the scoring, setting the tone for an influential final appearance before his move to South Sydney in 2027.
Haas was later sent to the sin bin for repeated infringements, yet returned to complete 71 minutes with 152 metres, 15 carries, 40 tackles and 58 post-contact metres.
Brisbane led 10-10 at half-time before taking control after the break. Ben Hunt, Billy Walters and Josiah Karapani helped spark a decisive spell in which the Broncos scored four tries in 11 minutes to move 34-10 ahead.
Canterbury responded through Viliame Kikau and Lachlan Galvin, who scored twice, but the Bulldogs could not mount a serious comeback as Brisbane secured only their eighth win of the season.
“Payne means a hell of a lot to this club, he really does,” Hunt told ABC Sport. “It’s been a very disappointing year, but to come out here tonight, the boys really carried themselves in a great way and really showed up for Payne. He deserved the win tonight.”
The result provided a positive finish to a disappointing premiership defence for the Broncos, who will miss the finals. Haas, who made his Brisbane debut in 2018, will now prepare for the next chapter of his career with the Rabbitohs.
