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Stand-in Brisbane captain Kurt Capewell has said there was more chat this week about the fish that he hooked than Payne Haas's failed attempt to walk out on the NRL club.
- Broncos interim captain Kurt Capewell has played down the Payne Haas saga
- Haas was booed heavily by the Broncos crowd in their win over the Titans on Friday
- The star prop threw the club into turmoil when he requested an immediate release on Thursday
Capewell smiled through questions over the star prop's midweek request for an immediate release from his contract, which is due to run until 2024, and the bid was swiftly denied by the Broncos.
"We talked more about the 76cm snapper I caught during the week than Payne Haas," Capewell said.
"We knew it was happening. Payno wrote us a message and said, 'Boys, I'm fully committed to you guys, let's go out and do the job'."
Asked how Haas could be committed to a club that he's prepared to exit, Capewell pointed to his performance in a game where Brisbane overcame 18-0 and 24-4 deficits to heap more misery on the Titans.
"Did you see his efforts tonight? You tell me if he's committed," he said.
"We love our fans, they're passionate.
"We're in a game where you've got to be passionate for your club, but see the business side of it.
"It's a fine balance — things like this come up all the time. I don't see why it's such a fuss."
The backrower insisted that Haas — who has knocked back a deal understood to be worth about $900,000 a season in the hope of more at Red Hill or elsewhere — had the backing of his teammates.
That's despite the huge Brisbane crowd — riding a winning streak that stretched to six with Friday's comeback win over Gold Coast — booing the 22-year-old every time he touched the ball.
"It's been tough," Haas told Channel Nine. "I'm usually not one to get rattled but, when I heard the boos, it rattled me a bit. I had to compose myself, stay in the game and do my job for the team."
Coach Kevin Walters admitted he was not sure why the three-time best-and-fairest winner wanted to leave.
"I was a bit, not so much disappointed but more, 'Oh, OK'," he said.
"I'm confident we can … sort something out. We're not going to obviously release him.
"I don't believe it'll drag on, but I'll stay in my lane and keep coaching Payne Haas.
"He's the best prop in the game and we don't want to lose the best prop in the game.
"That's what we'll have to get to in the next couple of weeks [why he is seeking a release], but he showed his commitment tonight and, whilst he's got a Broncos jersey on, he will continue to do that."
AAP