Rabbitohs star recruit Payne Haas stopped for a chat with members of the Souths Players Association (SPA) on Friday morning, 23 October, after their regular walk around Heffron Park.
The meeting took place at The Burrow Cafe inside the Heffron Centre, home of the South Sydney Rabbitohs.
Former boxing champion and South Sydney trainer Dexter Dunworth gave us his signature shape-up pose alongside Payne, who was happy to pose for a photo.
I wasn’t there on Friday, but the photo appeared in our Man Walk – SPA WhatsApp group. I shared it on Bunnies TV’s Instagram and Facebook pages, where it has since attracted more than 51,000 views combined.
The SPA Friday Morning Walks
Every Friday morning, the Souths Players Association boys meet at 6am outside the Heffron Centre.
We complete two laps of Heffron Park before heading into The Burrow Cafe for coffee, a quiz and a chat.
It’s a great way for former Rabbitohs players to catch up, stay active and maintain the friendships built during their playing days. It also brings together players from different eras that weren’t previously known to each other.
A few former trainers also join us, including Dexter Dunworth, who’s become a good mate.
The walks aren’t just about exercise. They’re an opportunity to catch up with mates, share a few stories and enjoy amazing coffee in the cafe.
Payne Haas at The Burrow Cafe
Payne Haas is one of the biggest signings in Rabbitohs history.
South Sydney officially announced his signing on 16 February 2026. The representative front-rower will join the club from 2027 on a deal covering 2027 and 2028, with an option for 2029.
Haas won the 2025 NRL premiership with Brisbane and has represented NSW, Australia and Samoa.
The move will reunite him with Wayne Bennett, who gave Payne his NRL debut at the Broncos in 2018.
His arrival will be a massive boost to the Rabbitohs forward pack, which already features Cameron Murray and David Fifita.
It’s great to see the big fella around the club ahead of his official arrival in 2027.
Dexter Dunworth: The Dingo
Dexter Dunworth has quite a story of his own.
The former boxer, known as ‘The Dingo’, enjoyed a remarkable professional career in the United States despite taking up professional boxing in his fifties.
An article in the Sydney Morning Herald on 3 August 2008, titled Dingo Has the Heart of a Lion, detailed his extraordinary achievements.
Despite serious injuries to his knees and shoulders, Dexter continued fighting and captured the Arkansas and US Mid America cruiserweight titles.
He also received recognition from Guinness World Records as the world’s oldest active boxer at the time.
These days, Dexter remains a happily retired businessman and regularly joins the SPA boys on their Friday morning walks.
He’s a great character and a generous bloke with plenty of stories to tell.
You can learn more about his boxing career and life in my Bunnies TV YouTube interview, A Man Worth Knowing: Dexter Dunworth.
By Steve Mavin | Rabbitoh #757 | Bunnies TV
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