Shattered Brisbane Broncos star Payne Haas breaks his silence on his mum being jailed for assault

‘Shattered’ Broncos star Payne Haas breaks his silence on his mum being JAILED for assault and reveals he hasn’t been able to speak to her for weeks – after pulling out of World Cup for ‘personal reasons’

  • Payne Haas’ mother jailed for assaulting casino security guards on Gold Coast 
  • Broncos star, 22, said the sorry episode has taken its toll on his tight-knit family
  • Haas also withdrew from World Cup in UK in blow to Mal Meninga and Kangaroos

Shattered Broncos prop Payne Haas has broken his silence after his mother was jailed for assaulting casino security guards on the Gold Coast.

Haas, 22 – who this week told Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga he won’t be playing in the World Cup for personal reasons – also revealed he hasn’t recently spoken to his mother Uiatu ‘Joan’ Taufua, who will be released on October 1. 

‘I haven’t really been able to speak to her the last couple of weeks,’ Haas said.

‘All I know is my dad has been able to talk to her and apparently she is in high spirits at the moment. 

‘Like anyone, if it was their own mother [that went to jail], you would be pretty shattered.

Broncos prop Payne Haas has broken his silence surrounding his mother being jailed earlier this month for assaulting casino security guards

Uiatu 'Joan' Taufua pleaded guilty to the assault charges and will be released from jail on October 1

Uiatu ‘Joan’ Taufua pleaded guilty to the assault charges and will be released from jail on October 1

‘It has been pretty tough, but I have my partner and my little brothers and they have been a good support system for me. I am pretty close to my mum and it sucks to see what has happened. 

‘It has been a tough couple of weeks (since the court decision) but it’s happened now and I have to move on with things.

‘You love your family more than anything and you do anything for them. My family is tight knit, we do everything together and we have each other’s back all the time … hopefully I will get to see her soon.’

Taufua was sentenced on September 1 to nine months imprisonment after assaulting security staff at the Star Casino on the Gold Coast.

The term was suspended, with Taufua to be released on October 1. 

It was not her first brush with the law after being handed a suspended sentence in May 2019 over a violent road rage attack in which she verbally and physically attacked delivery driver Keith Tyler.

Haas, 22, told Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga earlier this week he won't be playing in the World Cup for personal reasons

Haas, 22, told Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga earlier this week he won’t be playing in the World Cup for personal reasons

Keith Tyler was badly injured when he was assaulted by Uiatu 'Joan' Taufua in 2019

Keith Tyler was badly injured when he was assaulted by Uiatu ‘Joan’ Taufua in 2019

On that occasion, Taufua had two of her children in the car when she attacked Tyler, who suffered severe facial injuries including a fractured cheekbone, a hole in his lip and a deviated septum.

Her son – who was recently Brisbane’s Player of the Year for a fourth consecutive season – declared family is more important than footy when it comes to the World Cup in the United Kingdom.

‘I just thought that at this time, especially with my body and with all the stuff going on in my family, I needed to be home as the older sibling,’ he added.

‘I need to be there for my little brothers and give them a bit of guidance. I felt that was more important than going over to England and playing the World Cup.’

Meninga was certain to pick Haas, and with Origin front-rowers Junior Paulo and Josh Papali’i confirming their allegiance to Samoa, Australia appear light in the engine room.

The likes of Matt Lodge, Reagan Campbell-Gillard and Jake Trbojevic are tipped to fill the void.

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