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Outgoing Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga believes the call by superstar prop Payne Haas to defect to Samoa will make international rugby league more competitive

Outgoing Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga believes the call by superstar prop Payne Haas to defect to Samoa will make international rugby league more competitive

14 August 2025 - article from www.rugbyleague.co.nz

Australian media is reporting the 25-year-old Haas will join the likes of Brian To'o, Stephen Crichton and Jarome Luai as superstar players to have chosen Samoa over Australia in recent years.

A player eligible for a tier-one nation like Australia and a tier-two nation such as Samoa can change allegiance provided they do not represent both teams in the same calendar year.

The move is a significant boost for Samoa, who underlined their status as a new international powerhouse by making the World Cup final in 2022.

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