Fittler: "He could be one of the best of all time"
Kristy-Lee Harris
Brydens Lawyers NSW Blues Coach Brad Fittler has predicted that Brisbane Broncos prop and 2019 Blues debutant Payne Haas could go down in the history books as “one of the best of all time.”
Fittler filmed a three-part docu-series, ‘The Selection’ exclusively for the NSWRL where he provided insight into the selection process for players for the 2019 State of Origin series.
Having only had played ten first-grade games at the time of being named in the NSW squad for Game One of the series, Fittler said he saw the utmost potential in the young Bronco and believes he is destined for greatness.
“I think Payne Haas is the player of our day, if given the opportunity – moreso takes the opportunity, he could be one of the best of all time,” Fittler said in Part One of the docu-series.
The coach revealed the first time he encountered the big body of Haas was when he was selected in the NSW Under-16s player pathways squad in 2015, coached by current NSW Blues assistant coach Danny Buderus.
“He’s such an athlete” Fittler said.
“He’s a pleasure to have in a team – he’s always the biggest, the fittest, the best but he’s always got this mannerism about him.
“He’s so polite, so kind and so gentle – which is amazing being a front-rower.”
Standing at 110 kilograms, he was beating the smallest and speediest players in the squad. That was when ‘Freddy’ knew Haas was bound to be something special, and only four years later he appointed him into the NSW Blues Origin squad for Game One.