Payne Haas injury news sparks State of Origin 'mind games' uproar

Payne Haas's preparations for Wednesday night's State of Origin opener in Adelaide have been dealt a blow, with the rampaging NSW prop going down in an injury scare at Blues training on Friday. The Broncos prop - who currently leads the NRL's Dally M Medal count - rolled his ankle in a practice session on Friday morning.

Haas was seen limping off Sydney's Coogee Oval to seek medical treatment midway through the session. The 23-year-old wrecking ball was later seen with leg raised and an ice pack applied to the injured area.

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Blues advisor Greg Alexander said NSW were simply taking "precautionary" measures with Haas, with NSW officials assuring gathered media that the issue was not deemed too serious. While Haas is set to take no further part in Friday's training, Blues officials are confident he'll be able to resume training when the squad regathers on Sunday after breaking for the weekend.

"It's precautionary," Alexander told reporters on Friday. "It's an ankle sprain. He just trod on the boot of someone as he was running backwards and he's just gone over on the ankle.

"He'll be right Sunday. He'll train on Sunday. There's not a history. It's just an ankle sprain that needs icing at the moment."

Any concerns over Haas' fitness would be a serious concern for the Blues, given his ability to play big minutes through the middle of the field. NSW desperately needed the front-rower in last year's decider which he missed with a shoulder injury as the Blues went down 22-12 at Suncorp Stadium.

Haas is deep into contract negotiations at Brisbane, with the Broncos reportedly reading to offer the prop a bumper new contract extension that would represent the richest in the club's history. The hulking Broncos forward has also seen himself in the sights of Rugby Australia, who are reportedly keen to see him follow Roosters young gun Joseph Suaalii to the 15-a-side game, by blowing the Brisbane contract offer out of the water.

Interest for Brisbane's three-time reining player of the year is understandable, with Broncos legend and board member Darren Locker admitting recently that his re-signing is a top priority for the club. Haas has been averaging a staggering 190 running metres in the NRL this season and is among the competition's best for offloads and post-contact metres.

State of Origin fans react to Payne Haas news

News of Haas' injury has prompted a wide mixture of reactions from league fans on social media. While Blues fans will be understandably sweating on the fitness of the game's best prop, others have seemingly questioned the legitimacy of the issue and suggested that a classic case of Origin mind games might be at play.

with AAP

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