Moe ready to go through the Payne barrier

They were once school mates and teammates but come Friday night they will have one another squarely in their sights.

Payne Haas has grabbed the headlines over the last few years, while the quietly spoken Moeaki Fotuaika has gone about creating a reputation as one of the brightest and hard working young forwards in the NRL.

Both men produce big minutes, big metres and big efforts for their sides every week and the winner of this battle may very well decide the winner of Friday night's Macca's Local Derby at Suncorp Stadium.

Haas had a delayed start to the season after being suspended due to an off-field issue, but the powerhouse has come back in damaging form in a Broncos side that has struggled for leaders in 2021.

Haas is averaging 179 running metres a game and 35 tackles across 63 minutes on the field in his four games this year.

On the other side of the ledger Fotuaika has built into his season after gaining his first State of Origin jersey in the 2020 off-season.

Fotuaika is playing fewer minutes in 2021, but providing maximum impact for Head Coach Justin Holbrook.

Averaging 51 minutes this season, Fotuaika has averaged 146 metres, while producing significantly more second-phase offloads than his opponent on Friday (Fotuaika 12, Haas 1). 

So who will take the points on Friday night, will it be the big man from Brisbane or the smiling assassin from the Titans?

Either way both sets of fans know their man will not let them down.