Barnstorming Brisbane spearhead Payne Haas has put himself on a collision course to buck 46 years of rugby league history to become the first prop to win the Dally M, according to Matty Johns.
Despite an injury-interrupted build-up to the season, Haas has been arguably the form player of the NRL through three rounds as the leader of a Broncos engine room that has at times looked scary.
He highlighted his quality by putting on a masterclass in the Broncos’ dismantling of the Cowboys in the Queensland derby last week that included a sensational solo try and was topped when he was crowned the winner of the Carl Webb Medal.
He earnt a maximum six Dally M votes against the Cowboys to put him one point behind Kalyn Ponga.
But Haas faces a herculean effort to be crowned the game’s best player – no prop has won the Dally M since its introduction in 1979.
Not since Newcastle hardman Mark Sargent shared the Rothmans Medal in 1989 has a front-rower been named the game’s best player.
Jason Taumalolo was a joint Dally M winner in 2016 but he played exclusively as a lock that year and has only moved into the front-row in the last four years.
In an ominous warning to rivals, Haas last week revealed he was still warming into the season after off-season ankle surgery, which at one point put him in doubt for round 1.
As well, as part of his Muslim faith he is observing Ramadan, which finishes on Sunday and requires him to fast and not drink water from sunrise to sunset.
Johns told the Matty & Cronk show on Fox Sports that Haas had been the best player in the competition ahead of Tigers recruit Terrell May and Ponga after three weeks.
He compared the Haas-Carrigan front-row combination to the great one-two punches of the modern era, including Paul Sironen and Steve Roach, George and Sam Burgess, and Glenn Lazarus and Bradley Clyde.
“Haas and Carrigan. I haven’t seen a better yardage combination,” John said.
“He (Haas) is having a phenomenal start to the season. In some ways it’s overshadowed the fact that I think Pat Carrigan is playing the best football of his career.”
Johns said Haas possessed the speed and agility of a small No.13 – only he stood at nearly two metres tall.
“He’s fast, he’s got good footwork,” Johns said.
“The only difference is he’s 120 kilos. He is just devastating at the moment.”
His co-host Cooper Cronk said he marvelled at the Broncos forward pack and as a former halfback wished he had played behind them.
“The Broncos have the perfect ingredients, powerful forward pack, smart halves, athletic outside backs,” Cronk said.
“And when Payne Haas and Carrigan put it together, I’d love to be Adam Reynolds and Ben Hunt. Because you can create momentum … and you could shift to the outside or you could play straight back through the middle with Reese Walsh.”
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