Brisbane legend Glenn Lazarus says "exceptional" prop Payne Haas is leading the Broncos closer to a seventh premiership by taking his offloading ability to the next level.
Five-time premiership prop Lazarus, who won grand finals with the Broncos in 1992 and 1993, was the childhood hero of Haas.
Haas's father Gregor would play videos of Lazarus starring for Brisbane and NSW as his son dreamt of following in the footsteps of one of the greats.
The 23-year-old Haas is now joint leader of the Dally M Medal count on 16 points after five rounds and has been a key to the Broncos' undefeated start to the season.
"Payne had a good year last year but this year he has been exceptional," Lazarus told AAP.
"If he continues down this path the sky is the limit for the Broncos. When Payne plays like he is the rest of the pack follows.
"They look like a team that is not too far off a premiership."
Haas has unfurled 13 offloads in the first five rounds, several of which have led to tries. Last year he had 21 for the entire season.
Lazarus said his own game developed through the 1990s, when he cultivated a lethal offload he unleashed after skittling defenders.
"When I was a young front-rower at the Raiders I always felt a quick play-the-ball was most useful for our halves," he said.
"Then at the Broncos I played with Gavin Allen and Andrew Gee, both great offloaders, and they encouraged me to offload too.
"Now defences are so organised, clinical and structured that second phase is one of the few ways you can disrupt that and take defenders out of their comfort zone.
"Payne has realised that and is creating second-phase opportunities.
"Kevin (Walters) would be encouraging it because he used to encourage us forwards in the 1990s to do the same."
What pleases Lazarus most about Haas is that he is doing the hard yards first.
"The offload is the last thing you think of. The first thing is run hard, bend the line and if you get an opportunity to offload then you do it," he said.
"Payne is doing that and as he goes through the season offloading at the right time he will get more support around him and create more opportunities."
Brisbane captain Adam Reynolds said Haas was doing "a terrific job picking his times" to offload.
"They are measured offloads, which are the ones we like," he said.
Lazarus said the Broncos had "started like a house on fire".
"They are five from five and a lot of that is down to what the forwards are doing," he said.
"It is the basics - good go-forward, quick play-the-balls and second-phase footy.
"That is how we won games when I was at the Broncos and this team is doing the same. They have some very talented outside backs and the halves are playing well."
