Payne Haas takes the ball up against action for the Blues. Photo: Scott Davis / NRL Images
‘Injury? What injury?’ was Blues prop Payne Haas’s summation of his player-of-the-match performance in NSW’s 18-6 win over Queensland in State of Origin I in Brisbane yesterday.
Haas had entered training camp with a quad complaint but there was no sign of that as he went about setting up the win in front of a crowd of 52,483 at Suncorp Stadium.
“I was going to play, no matter what,” Haas told NRL.com.au.
“I was just hoping we got the win to be honest. We had a good week at training and I’m just real proud and privileged and blessed to be part of this group.
“We did captain’s run and got a bit nervous on the bus because I had limited preparation but of all the boys had faith in me and Laurie (coach Laurie Daley). I just didn’t want to let them down,” he told the website.
In his player of the match performance, Haas finished with 18 runs for 156 metres, three tackle breaks, 18 hit-ups and 30 tackles.
Daley was left in awe of what Haas did.
“Payne’s injury, we weren’t sure with that,” Daley said after the game.
“Payne probably had a quarter of a session on the Monday and we did nothing on the Tuesday, so he hadn’t really trained… and then to push out the minutes and be strong the way he was, was great.”
WOMEN’S ORIGIN
Meanwhile the NSW and Qld women meet in game three of their Origin series in Newcastle tonight (Thursday, 7.45pm AEST).
NRL.com au reports that the Blues will field an unchanged 17 with Olivia Kernick to start at lock. Olivia Higgins dropped out when the squad was cut to 19 players yesterday while Shaylee Bent and Brydie Parker remain in the squad.
Injuries have forced the Maroons to make changes. Fullback Tamika Upton is out with a hip complaint, Hayley Maddick will make her debut, lock Keilee Joseph is also out, skipper Ali Brigginshaw will wear 13 and Lauren Brown moves from hooker to halfback.
Destiny Brill returns to the starting lineup as dummy half, Sharks half Georgia Hannaway makes her Origin debut off the bench while Emily Bass and Jada Ferguson remain in the squad after it was reduced to 19 players.
