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.

Western Sydney Derby to break a season

Parramatta and Penrith have long enjoyed the healthy rivalry that comes with a local derby. Built upon geographical distance and maintained by the passion of loyal fans, local derbies present an opportunity to get one over your closest rival.

They allow one club to silence the other for another year, season, or until the next match. They also allow one set of fans to enjoy the satisfaction of the misery the losing team will suffer following the match.

Sometimes they’re pumped up; sometimes they’re under-hyped.

Regardless of the build up, this Sunday’s derby between the Eels and Panthers presents an opportunity for a season to be sunk – and a season to be kept alive. That is the predicament of both club’s situation as the NRL competition heads into round 19, with just seven games remaining after Sunday’s match.

Penrith enjoyed bragging rights in Round 5 with a 20-18 heart-stopping win.

While no doubt the Eels are under the most pressure to keep their season alive in what must be considered a do-or-die game in order for their final’s chances to remain, the Panthers will surely be feeling it too after coming off consecutive losses and still yet to find any consistency in their results. 

Sitting in 14^th position on the NRL ladder now that their points have been stripped for rorting the salary cap, Parramatta will likely need to win their remaining seven games to take their current points total of 12 to 26, to be any hope of creeping into the top 8.  

Five of those seven games will come against teams currently outside the top 8, with only Brisbane and Canberra to play from those sitting pretty. A win on Sunday could leave Parramatta as a realistic chance of making the finals.

Penrith on the other hand, sit in 10^th position with a total of 18 points to their name. Whilst in a higher position than Parramatta, their chances of final’s qualification hinge on whether they can produce some succinct performances and learn to put the opposition away.

A similar run home will see them take on just the Broncos and Warriors from the top 8, with an equal number of five games against teams from the bottom half of the table. With the touted number of around 28 points required to make the finals each year, Penrith still have some leeway to drop a few games along the way.

But they will need that leeway given their indifferent results across the opening 18 rounds. Unable to beat the sides they should like the Dragons and Titans; yet able to knock off Brisbane and go ever so close against Canterbury and North Queensland, Penrith’s season has been somewhat of a roller coaster.

A closer look reveals 13 out of Penrith’s 16 games this season have been won or lost by 8 points or less. They have consistently taken their games down to the wire and have struggled to show a killer instinct. It’s clear a loss this weekend could spell the demise of their season.

Parramatta’s form can be looked at in two ways: on the surface they have 10 wins from 16 games; however, if you view it from the time they were deemed under the cap and cleared to play for points, they have won 4 from their last 7.

A remarkable achievement considering how in tatters their house is, and how tumultuous their season has been. Eels’ coach Brad Arthur has managed to keep his team performing on the pitch amidst all the club’s dramas. A galvanising win last week over the Roosters will have them ready for Sunday.

Both sides have also had to cope with changes to their line-up and persesonal throughout the year. While Parramatta’s key loss of Nathan Peats was forced, their acquisition of Jeff Robson to cover for out-going half Kieran Foran was one they didn’t see coming. The Eels have dealt with the changes well, with minimal disruption to their overall performances.

Penrith elected to let Jamie Soward leave the club after the rise of Nathan Cleary, and lost livewire hooker James Segeyaro to the Super League. Both losses signal a change in direction by Anthony Griffin, but their loss to a depleted Cronulla last week showed they haven’t yet developed the fluency to be where they should be.

They moved to sign former Super League Man of Steel winner Zac Hardaker in an effort to replace injured centres Peta Hiku and Dean Whare. A handy replacement given his status in the U.K, but a mid-season switch doesn’t leave much time to build smart and strong combinations.

With both sides on the brink of either kicking on with it or falling away in 2016, the local derby will take on extra significance. The thrilling Round 5 victory by Penrith – at the death of course – seems like it was a world away, but it provides a tantalising insight to what Sunday afternoon at Pepper Stadium may bring.

Eels at fork in the road for captaincy choice

Who will lead the Parramatta Eels in 2016?

Parramatta have a wave of new signings joining their ranks for next season, with the likes of Beau Scott, Kieran Foran and Michael Gordon fronting up to pre-season training at the beginning of November. Most notably, Foran and Scott are the two biggest recruits by Head Coach, Brad Arthur, who will be looking to build on the addition of Anthony Watmough in 2015. After losing Jarryd Hayne last off-season, the Eels struggled to find a consistency in their game this year with the fickle Chris Sandow proving a handful for Arthur. In Hayne they lost a superstar, but they also lost a captain, and prop-forward, Tim Mannah, led the team as the sole-captain for the 2015 season. But with the new recruits now settled in amongst the Parramatta group, Brad Arthur will be beginning to think if any of the additions are more suited for the captaincy role than Mannah.  

A long-serving club favourite, Mannah is an unlikely poster boy for the Eels, having grown up in the west of Sydney and played his junior football in the local area with the Guildford Owls. An ideal example for those playing and growing up across the vast Parramatta Rugby League catchment, and a suitable identity for the Eels to have as their skipper given the rich and diverse demographic of the broad local community. The current Eels captain is also a man of high-standing and of the highest integrity, deeply devoted to his religion and family. He has been there through the highs and lows with the club, on-board for the incredible 2009 run of form that took them to the NRL Grand Final, and there to collect the back-to-back Wooden Spoons in 2012 and 2013. Making his debut in 2009, Mannah has also been there for the change of coaches, having played under Daniel Anderson, Stephen Kearney, Ricky Stuart and now Brad Arthur. It’s hard to argue Mannah’s commitment to, and resolve with, the club over his career.  

But having been through so much with the club, and with some hard seasons leading the group through some disappointing times, is it for the club to go in a new direction and set a new a leader in place? With current New Zealand captain, Kieran Foran, joining the club for potentially the next four years, along with hardened veteran, Beau Scott, coming on board for the next two at least, the time for a change in captain could be now. 

Kieran Foran presents a unique situation. He is an international captain, premiership-winning half, popular and respected amongst his peers, and a commanding and aggressive player. An established half for Manly for the past six years, 25-year-old Foran has cemented his place in the game as one of the best in the business, and his deal with Parramatta shows his worth. Highly sought after by Brad Arthur, his signature, albeit when it eventually came, was considered a club-changing by the Eels. Landing a prized half, the Eels believed they will be able to construct a team around Foran, and his abilities will help attract other players of his stature. Despite this, Foran comes into a team that who standards have been jumped between appalling and thrilling. He also looks set to step into the checkered blue and gold number seven jersey. Those in the media believe the jersey hasn’t been filled appropriately since the departure of Peter Sterling in 1992. So will Kieran Foran be the ideal man to fill the role given he will play 80 minutes and be guiding the team around from his position in halves anyway? Or maybe Beau Scott would be more suited for a new change in leadership? 

Scott has now played 200 first-grade games. He is a tough-nut who is unforgiving on the field. He is an aggressive and brutal back-rower who regularly dominates his opponents. He has played at three club in Cronulla, St. George Illawarra and most recently the Newcastle Knights. The 31-year-old has been one of New South Wales’ best over the last few years and is considered to have developed into one of the best forwards in the game. He has also played under the supercoach, Wayne Bennett. Both have no-bullshit approaches and were well suited to each other. Arthur is a similar style of coach in that he doesn’t bend his approach for nonsense players, it’s his way or the highway. Or in Chris Sandow’s case, the runway of Sydney International Airport. So Scott and Arthur could form a solid combination as Captain and Coach. An 80-minute player, in and around the game in the back-row, and one who will set the standards for others to follow.  

In a nutshell, the Eels have come to a fork in the road with their captaincy. Stick with Mannah and honour his devotion to the club, with Foran and Scott to play leader’s roles on the field anyway; or start afresh on a new path with Scott or Foran to lead the team with a demanding style that could signal a new-era for one of the games most-supported clubs. 

The answer is two-fold. Don’t establish a group of captains like most other coaches do these days, but set a new first-grade captain and gain the feeling of a new start that the club desperately needs. But don’t forget the loyalty of your current skipper, Tim Mannah. Loyalty is something that needs to be rewarded, especially at a club like Parramatta. Mannah is an ideal, Club-Captain. The man who can present himself to the extra commitments the role carries; the sponsorship engagements, the media opportunities, the charity activities. He can be the one to take the pressure off the role for an on-field captain like Scott or Foran.  

The Eels need their team to be void of all distractions, and focused on winning games. They need their on-field leader focussed on what’s in front of them, on leading the team around the park, on winning games. So a Club-Captain in Mannah works, because it allows Foran or Scott to focus on game day.  

But how do you split the two? Foran; the genuine half the Eels have been crying out for, Scott; a mighty forward that exhibits the commitment Brad Arthur seeks. Foran will have enough to deal with if he wears the Parramatta number seven next season, so give it Scott and ‘get on with it’, as Arthur would say.