Hayne at risk of blowing his Rugby League legacy

Most Australian sports’ fans will be familiar with Jarryd Hayne’s story. Rugby League types will know it well. Twelve months ago a 49er, eight months ago a Fijian Olympic hopeful, six months ago settling down as a Gold Coast Titan. But outside having a diverse and enigmatic career, will Jarryd Hayne be remembered as merely a one-hit wonder?

Hayne must take the Titans performances into his own hands.

When you look back on Hayne’s career and try and recall his achievements, there are a number of individual accolades but few team triumphs.

In 2009, Hayne lit-up the NRL with a breath-taking run of form unlikely to ever be matched again. Almost single-handily, he took his side – Parramatta Eels – all the way to the Grand Final through sheer determination, skill and ability. Fans, coaches and fellow players were in awe of his efforts, even his teammates just rode on the back of ‘Haynesy’.

The Eels eventually fell on the final day of the season to what would later be uncovered to be a cheating Melbourne Storm team, almost $1.5 million over the salary cap. Hayne’s Dally M medal-winning year of 09’ will be forever remembered by not just Eels’ fans, but those who were all their to witness it. Arguably, that Grand Final loss was Hayne’s ‘one-shot’ or small ‘premiership-window’ that players come across in their careers. It’s easy to conclude that if the Storm weren’t cheating the salary cap and were without a player of the influence of Greg Inglis, Parramatta and Hayne would have been crowned NRL Premiers.

Untouchable in 2009, out of favour in 2017.

Moving to Hayne’s only other period of real success in which he helped NSW win the 2014 State of Origin series and took out the Dally M Medal alongside Johnathan Thurston as the NRL’s player of the year, its easy why Hayne is often referred to as an enigma.

Four years had passed between the Grand Final loss and Hayne’s second Dally M, and realistically during this time he achieved very little at club level. In 2012 and 2013, Parramatta collected consecutive wooden spoons, with club failing to provide a team dynamic that could bring out the best in Hayne. 

A move to the edges with the national team for the World Cup in 2013 allowed Hayne to show his best while playing among the game’s best as they took out the tournament. Then came the cope-hopping; the challenges; the dreams. All respectable goals and journeys which few would have the mindset or ability to dare to try.

But for all Hayne’s individual feats and limited team accomplishments, and for a player of his skill level, has he really achieved as much as he should have? His work ethic and commitment have been questioned by his peers in the past – even his former Eels’ captain Nathan Hindmarsh labelled him the ‘worst trainer I have ever seen’.

The only time we’ve seen a fully committed Jarryd Hayne with the work-ethic of a man possessed is when he tried to make it in the NFL at the San Francisco 49ers. Surrounded by some of the best athletes in world sport and challenged to step-up and learn the game, Hayne excelled in his devotion and efforts. Outside of 09’ and the Blues Origin win in 14’, you could say Hayne’s time on the West Coast was the only time we’ve seen him emotionally invested in his training and dedicate himself to getting the best out of his skillset.

In the elite U.S sports scene, Hayne thrived amongst those of his capabilities.

Think about it, how often over the years and now at the Titans does Hayne seem to sleep through games and dawdle across the rounds. So shy is Hayne of the consistency the game’s best players exhibit, he rarely reaches his best. This is where the problem with Jarryd Hayne’s legacy comes into query. Smith, Slater and Thurston are all set to be considered of ‘Immortal’ status because they are without question the most committed, dedicated and consistent players of the last decade.

Right now, Jarryd Hayne is at risk of blowing his legacy as a rugby league player such has been his demise at the Titans. Reports of poor training, individualism, a failure to buy-in and a meagre transformation despite having his first full pre-season in years, has led to former Queensland centre Justin Hodges suggesting the Titans should move Hayne on.

When he returns from an ankle injury in a few weeks, the Titans’ flagship signing has some serious ground to make up with the fans, pundits and even his teammates. There is no way he is displaying the dedication or form to be considered for the NSW State of Origin side, although he will probably be picked on ability alone. 

One of the few times we've seen an emotionally invested Jarryd Hayne on the result of the contest. 

As a kid who grew up in Sydney’s South-West, rose up through the junior ranks of rugby league to make it to the top of his sport and traversed a different path by leaving it all behind to pursue a dream, perhaps Hayne’s story is already well written.

A couple of medals, some finals appearances, a trophy here and there, scintillating flashes of brilliance and the ability to light-up a rugby league crowd like only a select few can – it’s a very commendable career to look back on.

But many players are remembered for just the last few years of their journeys.

So will Hayne merely be recalled for enjoying a Gold Coast holiday for a couple of years before falling out of the game and shipping off to French Rugby? It would hardly leave a legacy as a ‘great’ of the sport worth remembering.

But the real question is, how does Jarryd Hayne want to be remembered?

If you've forgotten just how good Jarryd Hayne can be, check out the video below.

NRL 2017: Titans, Sea Eagles, Storm, Warriors.

The Titans will make the 8; but the Sea Eagles will fall short.

Gold Coast Titans – Prediction 10^th

One of the hardest sides to place on the prediction list after their finish to 2016. With the inclusion of Jarryd Hayne at the end of last season, they looked like a side who had an extra man on the field. Robbed of progressing past week one of the finals by some of the worst refereeing in rugby league history, I’m expecting the Titans to explode out of the blocks.

They are a club on the comeback, on the rise, and with a point to prove. But how bad do they want to prove they can match it with the big guns? It was intriguing to hear the talk of Neil Henry looking to overlook Jarryd Hayne for a captaincy role, because the success of this team ultimately rests with him. Not to produce the winning plays and single-handedly take his side to a grand final like he did in 2009, but to inspire and lift those around him simply through his actions.

Hayne has previously been tagged as a poor-trainer but former Eels teammate Nathan Hindmarsh, and whether or not the 29-year-old has been pushing himself in his first full preseason in many years remains to be seen. After all his globe-trotting, you have to wonder what Hayne wants from his sporting career. Does he still desire an NRL title? His determination will determine the Titans 2017 season, let me give you the tip.

Manly Sea Eagles – Prediction 12^th

Difficult year for Trent Barrett in his debut season as an NRL Head Coach in 2016, but I believe he’s got the qualities to make it a long coaching career.

Has made the 10-million-dollar man Daly Cherry-Evans captain which was a must if they’re to do anything this season. DCE must take control of this team and stamp his authority week-to-week in each and every game. There’s no excuses for him now; he’s a senior player, has won Grand Finals, and its time he took control of the result.

Have a reasonable forward pack but will need to find the right tactics to be able to harness their strengths e.g. Martin Taupau’s size and running game. Expect to see some more juniors get a run with Brett Stewart and Steve Matai retiring, but I don’t think they’ve got the quality across the park to make any serious impression this year.

Melbourne Storm – Prediction 3^rd

A team that just keep producing year-after-year, and at the start of every season questions seem to be asked how they can maintain such consistency. The answer obviously lies in their big three, but it’s possibly because Craig Bellamy gets all the players around those leaders to play to the best of their ability.

Have a new kid on the scene ready to come through in Brodie Croft after a sensational appearance at the NRL Auckland Nines, and it will be interesting to see whether he fits into their top 17 every week, or bides his time in the Under 20s. Billy Slater will likely return with a point to prove, and I think you’ll see another outstanding season from the Storm barring injury to their stars.

With a World Cup at the end of the year, I can see Slater, Smith and Cronk wanting to have a big year. AAMI Park is nicknamed ‘The Graveyard’ for a reason and their impeccable home record will see them fit comfortably inside the top 9.

New Zealand Warriors – Prediction 8^th

Will undoubtedly be one of the most watched teams this year with Kieran Foran entering the side alongside the rest of the Kiwi’s spine. But I don’t think it will be all sunshine for the Warriors this year after a dismal end to 2016, they’re going to have to work hard and earn every point on the ladder.

Stephen Kearney comes in as a Head Coach and with over a decade of experience at three NRL clubs and under some of the game’s biggest names, he looks ready to take a side to the next level. Has made RTS captain in what would appear to be a bold move and certainly a look to the future, but with little to no experience as a leader how that unfolds remains to be seen.

Without a shadow of a doubt the Warriors can make a serious impression on the competition this year, but how bad they want it is another thing. They are the league’s best underachievers and if you look at the side’s that have won the comp recently, they’ve had a burning desire to get their hands on the Provan-Summons trophy. Isaac Luke is the key for me, if he plays like a man possessed I believe they can be their on Grand Final day but consistency is the buzzword for him.

Panthers lose control as Titans steal win

 

Penrith have witnessed the Gold Coast steal two competition points from right under their feet on Sunday at Pepper Stadium. 

The 24-28 loss was a cruel and disappointing end for the 11,210 fans who haven't seen a game of NRL in the Nepean since Round 6. 

For a full match report please visit the Penrith Panthers website or click here 

Bird has biggest point to prove in 2016

With the Gold Coast Titans edging closer to becoming the laughing-stock of the National Rugby League, it’s clear their former-Captain, Greg Bird, has to have his biggest season ever if the side is any chance of pulling itself out of the basket case it has become. Embroiled in scandals throughout his career, Bird has let his side and self down in the last couple of years, and quite simply, it’s time he got his shit together and became the true leader that he really is.  

Caught in the headlights, Greg Bird. 
Photo: NRL Photos. Source: NRL.com 

The Titans have had their woes over the last few years; many self inflicted, and that was no more evident than during the week when it was revealed by News Limited that the Titans Football Manager had forged the signature of gun-centre, James Roberts, on a playing contract. While forging the signature isn’t the worst the thing in the world; it probably happens all the time and the contract was agreed on, the self-inflicted pain the Titans continue to inflict on themselves whilst trying to re-establish a connection with the local region, and rebuild their brand as a whole, is ridiculous. Without doubt the best player in the Titans’ squad, putting Roberts’ contract at risk, when he has probably agreed to play at a fair price considering he was taken on board by the Titans when his career was hanging by a thread, is mind boggling. The bloke is a potential superstar, and will likely play for New South Wales and Australia next season if this year’s form continues. 

The contract saga is not the only issue that has enveloped at the club in recent times, with the cocaine controversy of last year which had half-a-dozen top line players in the headlines proving a nightmare for CEO, Graham Ansley. An embarrassing blight on the game, the issue bobbled along with players suspended from playing at the start of the 2015 season to fronting up to courtrooms throughout the year. No player was more under the spotlight than Captain, Greg Bird, who had only recently had his own wedding embroiled in controversy. Whilst celebrating the day after his wedding, Bird was caught urinating on or near a police car. The police issued him with an infringement, and the Titans eventually stripped him of the side’s captaincy role.  

While taking a piss in public isn’t that bad, again it’s the self infliction on the Titans brand that made Bird’s leak that much worse. While the drugs charges for Bird were eventually dismissed, the bubbling of off-field issues related to the back-rower have continued to dominate in the last 18 months. The cocaine-contreversy just shows the laid-back attitude and un-prioritised culture that has set-in at the club, and it’s hard not to suggest Bird’s attitude is at the heart of it.  

One of the fiercest competitors in the game, Bird can easily change the swing of a game with his no-holds-barred approach. But all too often Bird is penalized, giving away vital possession, or caught up in something illegal on the field that puts him out with a suspension for a couple of weeks. Bird’s ability and approach makes him a natural leader in a Rugby League team, and you get the feeling he has the genuine capability of influencing those around him. He’s almost a throwback to another era, one the last remaining old-school footballers. You just can’t get the image out of your head of him holding a frothing can of VB if you imagine him in the sheds after a game. 

But that doesn’t mean he can’t excel. When Bird first returned to the NRL after his stint in the English Super League with Catalans Dragons, he had something to prove. He owed the game of Rugby League, he owed the Titans, he owed his family, and importantly, he owed himself. Sent to south of France because of the case involving the glassing of his girlfriend, Bird was painted in a terrible light, and the smear was wiped over a game that was trying to rebuild its own overall image at the time.  

Bird now finds himself in a similar position. He has something to prove. He has his own character at question, he has his true commitment to the Titans under a cloud, he has his own and his family’s name to improve. Realistically, this is Bird’s last chance at the Titans and it’s hard to see him playing anywhere else in his career at 31 years of age, but that will be a reality if bird doesn’t focus on the results that count next season.  

With the opportunity to drag a struggling franchise out of the mud, and the chance to restore his own reputation, undoubtedly this is Greg Bird’s career-defining challenge. After missing the entire State of Origin season in 2015 and with the Titans finishing just win away from collecting the wooden spoon, Bird should be fueled with hunger for 2016. He is the one to lead the Titans back into Rugby League respectability; he can change the culture, he can influence those around him, and he can provide a relentless get-out-of-my-way style of play that not many others in the game can offer.  

He can only do those things though, if he chooses to. If he feels the need to prove the point. 

Cherry-Evans bypasses Titans, becomes a dog.

He might be laughing all the way to the bank, but he won't be laughing when he runs out against the Gold Coast in round 18.
Photo: Fiona Goodall/Getty Images Asia

Let’s not beat around the bush, Daly Cherry-Evans is a dog.

The way in which he has gone about his business in negotiating a new contract has been deplorable. Those commentators in the game that have come out on his side need to see it for what it is. He has played every single stakeholder in the process and taken everyone for a ride. His answers to the tough questions have been almost political, and come off as cheesy and downright fake.  

He has lamented the usual ‘doing the best thing for the family’ and ‘the opportunity to be a one club player’ as the reasons for turning on the Titans and re-signing with the Sea Eagles. Please, what a joke. Every man and his dog can see through this face-pulling smack.

Right from the start of the process, you could tell this wasn’t going to be your standard re-sign. The management of the Manly playmaker tipped off media outlets when he visited both the Gold Coast and Cronulla clubs to hold talks. At this point, there’s not too much wrong with that, players do it all the time to give their own club a sense that they’re willing to look elsewhere for the best deal. Is it a good look? No, not really. Is it disrespectful? Somewhat, yes, but it’s the tactics player agents use to find the best deal for their player.

But when you let a club officially announce you will be joining them next year on a four-year deal, when you announce on national television that you’re excited to join that new club, and when you repeatedly state you’ll be going through with your agreement only to then renege on the deal, going back on your word, quite frankly, you’re an insolent hypocrite.

The effect of Cherry-Evans drawn out contract talks has had far-wider implications than just his own reputation being damaged. The Titans have lost Nate Myles because of the money they forked out to afford Cherry-Evans, Aiden Seizer signed with Canberra because the Titans needed to make way for Cherry-Evans. Manly are sitting on the bottom of the table, and it’s hard not to link the drama that has surrounded the Cherry-Evans saga with their poor form. Geoff Toovey is now on the verge of loosing his job as Head Coach because of the team’s performances this year, in which Cherry-Evans is the gun playmaker. 

Notice a theme here? Everything has been about Daly Cherry-Evans. He’s made himself the center of the universe in order to rake in as much cash as he could.

The star halfback has held a steady reputation as a ‘good guy’ in the NRL since coming into the competition in 2011, and has said he’s comfortable with his reputation copping a backlash because of the backflip. Well let me tell you Daly, the fans will be delivering a backlash. The working and middle-class fans of the game hate nothing more than a pomp, self-indulgent, greedy wank…. player. They can see through the spin.

Cherry-Evans lied through his teeth. Showing no respect for the fans, for the Gold Coast Titans and for the game in general. He's known full well what he's doing all along. You’re on over a million dollars a year, in one of the luckiest positions in Australia. Show a bit of grace and humility. People spend their hard earned to buy tickets and watch you play, to purchase season memberships of your club, to save up and buy the jersey with your number on it. Once you disrespect the fans, you’ve lost all face son. And by god, you’ve lost them.