Brisbane Broncos prop Payne Hass has suffered a new injury setback as he sweats over whether his father will face the firing squad in the Philippines.
Haas's father became a Filipino citizen in a surprising move designed to help him avoid a possible death sentence in Indonesia after being charged with drug trafficking.
Gregor Haas was arrested by police in Cebu City in May last year and faced extradition to Indonesia, where he risked execution or life imprisonment if convicted over allegations that he had shipped methamphetamine to the country hidden in ceramic tiles from Mexico.
Indonesian authorities allegedly seized five kilograms of the drug, and their counterparts in the Philippines alleged that Haas was working for Mexico's infamous Sinaloa cartel.
It has now been revealed that Haas made a secret attempt to change the citizenship, which was granted to him when he won a court order on December 16 of last year, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.
He is now in the Camp Bagong immigration detention center in Manila, according to the publication.
Brisbane Broncos star Payne Hass has suffered an ankle injury that required surgery.
The representative star is now in doubt for the start of the NRL season as he is also sweating over the news of his father's sentencing.
While the move would be welcome for the Hass family, the latest injury setback for Payne is a major setback after an interrupted 2024 campaign.
Hass suffered an ankle injury in training last week and underwent surgery, ticking down the clock to be fit for the start of the NRL season.
“He's had a little cleanup on his ankle,” Broncos coach Michael Maguire said.
'The recovery will not be long. The doctors and physical therapists felt it was the right thing to do with the timing.
'Payne takes good care of himself. We thought about putting him through surgery and leaving him good for the first round.”
Philippine authorities had been trying to decide whether to extradite Gregor to Indonesia or deport him to Australia.
The fact that he obtained the order granting him citizenship should make it unlikely that he would be sent to Indonesia, as the Philippines is believed to be reluctant to allow one of its citizens to face the severe penalties that await him if convicted.
The Philippine Immigration Bureau has appealed the granting of the court order, but Haas's lawyer, Abdul Reslan, told the publication that the order granting his release remains in effect and he has not been informed why the man 46 years has not been released. .
Payne Haas's father, Gregor, is pictured while detained in the Philippines after being accused of trafficking five kilograms of methamphetamine to Indonesia.
Haas (pictured right with his soccer star son, Payne) could face execution or life in prison if convicted in Indonesia.
Reslan is now asking the federal government to return his client home. Gregor Haas has denied all allegations against him.
“The conditions are very difficult: he is losing weight rapidly, has limited food and nutrition, and is in an unhygienic and dangerous environment,” Reslan told the publication, adding that Haas had lost 30kg since his arrest.
“We seek urgent government intervention and assistance in the repatriation of Mr Haas to Australia, removing him from the dangerous conditions to which he is being subjected.”
When Haas was first detained, Indonesian National Narcotics Agency spokesperson Sulistyo Pudjo Hartono said they had been trying to locate Haas since 5kg of methamphetamine was allegedly found at an undisclosed location in December.
“We have good cooperation with the Australian police, so we will also work with them,” he said.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers said he opposed the death penalty and said he would speak to the Prime Minister and the Attorney General about the case.
Gregor Haas' arrest coincided with his wife, Payne's mother Joan Taufua, facing manslaughter charges over a car crash that killed three people in the Gold Coast hinterland in December 2022.
Police allege Ms Taufua, who remains in custody, was behind the wheel of a 2017 black Mercedes van which collided with two other cars in Bonogin just before 5pm on December 30 that year.
The drama surrounding Payne Haas' father came as his mother Joan Taufua (pictured) faces three counts of involuntary manslaughter related to a fatal car crash in December 2023.
Susan Zimmer, 70, her partner Chris Fawcett, 79, and Zimmer's daughter Steffanie, 35, died in the accident.
Payne has been taking care of her two school-aged siblings due to dramas with their parents.
Last year he spoke about how his tough childhood helped him deal with the potential sanctions hanging over the heads of his mother and father.
“I have had to take things seriously and not let them worry me.
'I'm not emotionless, but I feel like my parents were (hardened) and I fed off of that.
'Most of my siblings are pretty tough people, to be honest, they got that from my mother.
“You have to have thick skin and be mentally strong, considering what I was around.
'I've learned that if you come and try to prove people wrong, that's where it goes wrong. I learned that from a very young age.
'If you try to prove people wrong or right, it never turns out well. I have good people in my life for that kind of thing.