Since 2009 I have been of the opinion that Hayne’s best position is fullback. It gives him time, space and allows him to chime in when needed.
I have never seen Hayne as Parramatta’s long-term five-eighth. When he made the move there in 2011 it didn’t look like he was comfortable.
He was a marked man and couldn’t make the impact he wanted even though he was still laying on the tries for his outside men.
Hayne is a freak. At his best he is the most talented and freakish player in the game. He is also one of the most complete players I have ever seen.
I would like Hayne to be more consistent and I believe he is well on his way given he has barely had a quiet game this season.
Parramatta’s legendary halfback, Peter Sterling, highlighted Hayne’s value to the team when he said that Hayne had the kicking game of a Lockyer or Thurston, the speed of a Slater, the ball-playing skill of an Andrew Johns, the power of a Greg Inglis and the size of a backrower.
I have not seen someone affect their team so much since Andrew Johns was Newcastle’s main man in the last decade.
I was surprised when Hayne made the move to five-eighth against the Tigers. He has said in the past that he prefers fullback. However, he sighted that he wanted to be more involved in the front line as the reason for the move.
He didn’t exactly play as a traditional five-eighth in that game. He popped up all over the field and was extremely hard for the Tigers to target.
He ran the ball well but was very selective with his passing game. That’s where I see Hayne combining the best of both being a five-eighth and being a fullback.
He didn’t kick, mainly because of his hamstring, but we have seen time and time again that he has a brilliant kicking game.
I liked the way Hayne played. He was unpredictable and that’s when he’s at his most dangerous. In the past when he has played at five-eighth I felt that he tried to play too much like a normal five-eighth.
In this game he played his natural game and allowed Luke Kelly to run the team. His presence around the ball attracted defenders but that created space for his teammates.
For Hayne, it’s not so much what he does with the ball, it’s what happens when he’s around it. He’s a dangerous player and as such is heavily marked.
In the move for Parramatta’s match-winning try against the Tigers he had three defenders interested in him before firing the pass to Reni Maitua. That created time and space for his outside men.
Hayne will never be a traditional rugby league player because he’s a freak. He has a skill-set most players can only dream about. Hayne doesn’t need a number because you can’t nail him down to a position.
He is at his best when he plays his natural game. It doesn’t matter where you play him. The most important thing for him and Parramatta is that he’s on the field and playing well. Most of the time the rest will take care of itself.
Replies
agreed!, i have had so many arguments with my mates over the years over how jarryd hayne is such a freak! and the last time we fought i said just look at the roster he is playing with compared to a billy slater and greg inglis, yeah they are good footballers but lets see how good they are if they had to do it by themselves at parra! if you put hayne in a storm or souths he would win the dally M every year! he is just a freak! we would be nothing with out him!!!
Jarryd Hayne is a freak
He's got the full package .
I don't remember jarryd ever dropping a bomb . He is a freak
In a way Hayne is a victim of having such a wide ranging skill set because if you watch him in origin and he just plays that support/running role he is the best in the game at it. But as I have repeatedly said when you come back to club level you do what is best for the team and as we saw on Friday night that is creating space for his backline. I agree it doesn't really matter whether he does it from 1 6 or even 13
Good read mate. Can't argue with much of it. Perhaps your point being he is best with a 6 on his back but not the modern day traditional style. Back to the old days where your halves can combine and seperate when ever and where ever on the field. Not. This rubbish of left side and right side.
I keep saying.....something like Round 17, 18 v Penrith, at Penrith, 2010.
This was the game he scored an 80-m try from a kick return that everyone wet their pants about. For me, it was the 3-4 tries he set up in attack from second (or sometimes first) receiver. Throwing short passes, cut out passes, kicks etc. He had it all going. THIS was the game that convinced me Jarryd could be a great 5/8.
In some ways Daniel 'Refs Suck' Anderson really was ahead of his time. Jarryd just wasn't ready for the move in any way shape or form in 2009. He may not have been ready until now either. I always thought this move will only happen if Jarryd himself really accepts it and embraces it. That time may now have come. Let's just hope the team has some further success with him in this sport during the tail end of the year. Otherwise RS and JH may both back out of it - again!
Thought Norman signed with us with the assurance he would be our 5/8? Next year will he and Hayne swap during matches? Start with Norman and then all of a sudden BAM!! Hayne's suddenly there. Get Hayne more involved with his hands on the ball. Then switch him back to f/back. Thoughts?
I honestly think he's quite an underrated player, sounds ridiculous giving he's won a dally m, plays origin etc. A lot of people who don't watch Eels games just assume because we're last he's not playing well but he does so much. As solid under the high ball as anyone, always runs 100+, always average more than one scoring play (try or assist) a game despite playing for the worst attacking team, good kicking game, pulled off some amazing try savers this year and is also a surprisingly good defender in the line.
And despite all this, he's only played half as many games for Australia as Darius friggin' Boyd.
The fact that he isn't an automatic pick for Australia is a travesty, and does show that he is, to a degree, underrated.
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