THE HEAT IS ON: Jarryd Hayne

Jarryd Hayne is back home. Back to the Eels where he belongs.

After an unhappy stint with the Gold Coast Titans via NFL and 7’s Rugby, he is back. Eels fans don’t rejoice just yet. He may be back at the Eels in body but has he turned up mentally.

To me, the excited Jarryd Hayne that left the Eels in 2014 to challenge himself and follow his dream of playing NFL in America has never come back. His return to rugby league with Gold Coast Titans did not live up to anyone’s expectations. Many suggested it was due to his feud with coach Neil Henry.

Jarryd has not looked happy bar his “This is my house!” field goal at Campbelltown in late 2016. He made State of Origin in 2017 based on his reputation alone. Yet from an outsider, even Origin didn’t spark him.

So, what is behind his apparent unhappiness and lack of enthusiasm? Something Hayne said in his press conference announcing his move to NFL was that he had achieved everything he wanted to achieve in NRL. If you dissect that, you would note that he had never won a Premiership but he was content to leave without a Premiership ring. Hayne was bored with rugby league and as with anyone who has worked in a job for a few years, you can get bored. You look for other challenges.

For Hayne, that was NFL. He wanted something that would regenerate him mentally and physically. What he was able to achieve in NFL was nothing short of miraculous. The chances of making an NFL squad of 53 from outside of the College system is extremely low. Think about this, 3000 young men from the College system nominate themselves for the NFL draft each year. Of those, only about 220 are drafted and of those drafted only half make it onto the 53 man rosters. So for Jarryd to make the roster of an NFL team in a game he had never played and get actual game time is just phenomenal.

SANTA CLARA, CA – OCTOBER 18: Running back Jarryd Hayne #38 of the San Francisco 49ers looks on from the sidelines during their NFL game against the Baltimore Ravens at Levi’s Stadium on October 18, 2015 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

Once Hayne reached his goal of making the roster, I think it started to dawn on him he would be at best a back up running back or special teams player. Meaning little or no game time. With a change of Head Coach of the 49ers at the end of his first season, he would have to reprove himself to justify his place on the roster for the next season.

The reward to be a bit player was not enough for Jarryd and the NFL dream was over. He could have easily walked back into rugby league at that juncture for huge money but he chose to follow another dream. Winning an Olympic Gold Medal in Rugby Union. That to me was a sign he had little desire to play rugby league, he was still bored with it.

When his attempt failed to break into an already established Fiji 7’s team so close to the Olympic Games, he had a choice big money French Rugby or a return to Australia. With a new baby to think of he came back home. Australian Rugby Union was a consideration but with no big money offers on the table and with Parramatta going through off-field scandals, the Gold Coast Titans was surprisingly announced as his new home.

Again a press conference gave an insight into Hayne’s mind when bizarrely he talked more about Parramatta, than his new employers. He gave the impression if he couldn’t play for the Eels, he’d take the best money on offer until he could get back to his beloved Eels sometime in the foreseeable future.

His time on the Gold Coast was not enjoyable, where he struggled with form. His relationship with coach Neil Henry became the centre of a media circus of “it’s him or me” ultimatum of which he eventually won.

Now back with Eels after being granted a release from the Titans who were happy to see the back of him, it appears Hayne is still bored with rugby league. Brad Arthur now has the job to get Hayne motivated. If that is even possible.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – AUGUST 15: Jarryd Hayne of the Eels celebrates a try during the round 23 NRL match between the Parramatta Eels and the Canterbury Bulldogs at ANZ Stadium on August 15, 2014 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Renee McKay/Getty Images)

The only person capable of that is Hayne himself.

Jarryd Hayne is a unique person and athlete. He has been a superstar rugby league player and a pioneer in his NFL endeavours.

He now needs to be honest with himself and Parramatta fans. Either be a rugby league player or walk away. There would be no shame in walking away, in fact, it would be respected.

Will we see the return of the Hayne Plane? Or have his wings been clipped for good?

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Replies

  • I’d be interested to find out why the writer thinks Jarryd is still bored?? Hard to tell after one trial game.
    • Proof that it is a slow news day everywhere, especially at the Roosters, Manly, Brisbane, and the Storm. Canbarra is just to far away to visit to get any useful information

  • Hayne seemed disinterested for 90% of the time even when he was here the first time around   , it’s not an unrealistic story to question whether  Haynes commitment will be 100% this time around .   It’s not a bad write up actually . 

    • The article does not even question whether he is bored though - it suggests that he still is bored. It ignores that fact that his role this year will be very different to previous roles. BA has given him a job to do, and he only has to do that. We'll see after a few games what his attitude is, but I'd suggest he is much more focused than he has been .

  • Longy, I think the article as an overall is a fair assesment of Jarryd he in many ways does not show a lot of emotion most of the time, even some of his Plane try scoring moments often show his face more poker style than jubilation.  The best I can remember seeing him emotion wise was when NSW won the SOO for the first time and his running to the fans behind the posts.

    Look over many of this seasons gallery photo's, rather than the two past even ones and you will notice in the many of them he does not show a great deal of emotion when compared to his team mates. At the same time though, there are sessions that show him very much as if he is really enjoying the time, something that is likely very different to where he has been in the past. When I look at him in his normal playing mode he is like the joyful Cameron Smith, how often do you see him other than with a poker face?

    I agree though that he is more focused this year than in the past, he had to be to get his fitness up and to try and rid himself of the lazy trainer and selfish tags, rather he has to change and adapt to a new scene and a totally different eels team and culture than the one he left.

    For the average reporter they would no see that, and if you take that one paragraph out of the article it paints a different picture, and I have a suspicion that Jarryd Hayne is a different person now given the drama's that still follow, as such, he is cool with reporters and that's understandable.

  • And yet another hayne story with same old recap of what he has done then an unsubstantiated opinion, this time saying he is bored.
    Most journalists now are usless with little regard for facts in their stories or just a copy of previous stories or rumours from facebook.
    How about finding an original story or at least add new information to existing story.
    • FM. again you are taking one paragraph out of the whole article rather than focusing on the rest of it.

  • Nonna, I don't see it that way as I replied to Longfin.

  • IMO overall its a pretty fair assessment of how Princess fared except I think that the author has failed to appreciate BA's impact on Hayne's current situation.

    When u consider how Princess has applied himself at training, BA's current support & endorsement & Bevs acknowledgement of how Hayne has been helping him out then I think Princess's head space is in good shape for 2018.

    Thats all we can expect at this point in time however I also think that Princess will be motivated to show his wares, his natural talent will come to the fore & I expect to see him weave a little magic now that the season proper is kicking off.

  • I reckon Hayne is a video game player. These days you can make yourself in these games, but it takes time to edit the facial features etc to make it look like you.

    Hayne clearly thought the better option would be to just play in those sports so the makers of the games would be forced to sit there and create his facial features etc for him.

    My theory checks out.
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