'Alpha dog': Haas tipped for greatness as he eyes front-row records

Blues prop Junior Paulo has described Payne Haas as a “once in a generation” player and believes his NSW team-mate is yet to hit his peak.

Haas has put aside significant family issues to confirm his status as the game’s leading prop by leading Dally M voting when polling for the NRL player-of-the-year award went behind closed doors after last weekend’s round 12 matches.

The 23-year-old leads voting by three points from Blues halfback Nathan Cleary and is on track to become the first front-rower to win the Dally M Medal after helping the Broncos to a five-way share of first place on the NRL ladder.

“He is the alpha dog, and I am sure he will claim that, too,” Paulo said. “Payne has been doing that for a number of years now.

Since he came on the scene he has been able to do freakish stuff as a front-rower.

“There has been talk about him being a once-in-a-generation front-rower, and that's the kind of player he is. He is only going to get better the more he comes of age. The more mature he is, he is only going to get better.”

The Broncos prop has played 92 NRL matches and is averaging a career high 190 metres running with the ball in 11 appearances this season, which have also yielded 56 tackle breaks and 25 offloads.

After making his Origin debut in 2019, Haas will line-up for his 11th appearance next Wednesday night and is on track to become the most capped Blues front-rower - a record held by Glenn Lazarus, who played 19 Origins for NSW.

Steve Roach (17), Luke Bailey (15), James Tamou, David Klemmer and Aaron Woods (all 14) are next.

“If any of the young kids want a role model, it is Payne,” Paulo said. “To see how young he was when he came on the scene and to be doing it for a number of years, you can see the player he is going to amount himself to be.”

Paulo has been named on the interchange, with Tevita Pangai jnr to make his Origin debut in the front-row alongside Haas.

However, the Eels co-captain, who led Samoa to last year’s World Cup final against Australia at Old Trafford, is a proven big match performer.

After playing 73 minutes for Parramatta in last weekend’s defeat of South Sydney, Paulo is still expected to play a long stint against Queensland in the May 31 series opener at Adelaide Oval.

“Off the back of last year's series loss, it still burns,” Paulo said. “You just want to go out there and get the result.

The feud between the two states, the hatred that happens. It's still alive.

“When you're in that arena the best part is bettering your opposite number. Games are won in the middle, and you just want to be able to go out there and get over your opposite number.

"You want to be able to go out there and put your best foot forward and make your state proud.”