Jarryd Hayne has been sounded out by Fiji Bati, and given an opportunity to play in the upcoming games.
Hypothetically, if he goes alright and proves he's still a decent first grade level player, would you take him at parra?
The most naturally gifted player to ever play the game imo, at 36 I reckon he's still as good a player as Russell, Dunster ect...
Perhaps a spot on the wing a depth? Maybe not first choice but to have around. Jennings did it. If he can get down to his old playing weight and fitness levels I'd do it on minimum wage and I think Hayne would to.
Your thoughts? Of course this is just a thought, nothing too serious as it's off season.
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Hey it for everyone talking didn't it ahah
Nows the time to discuss it JB. At 36, and bigger than last playing in '18 it probably is a bridge too far for Jarryd. But can you totally dismiss it? He was brilliant and appeared lasy at times but one tcontinuedhing you cant deny, he never played in champion teams like Slater, Lockyer etc did and what he produced was all down to him. I've even heard the comment here that "he was never the same again as in '09." Really? He continued to make every origin and Test side until he left for the Bay Area in '14, was the best player that year in the test side, playing in the centres and shared the Dally M with JT. He made the team at the 49ers and and played 8 games in offense for them, while many from our own league commented "he failed!" I've always thought that his departure from us jarred with a lot of Eels fans and they were sometimes quick to deminish the memories of what he had done for us.
Well said Richard.
Thankyou Richard. Some of these guys acting like he doesn't have as many dally Ms and smith and slater
I don't think anyone with eyes could doubt his brilliance. The run of games in 09 was him literally single handedly winning games against a full side - I've never seen that kind of dominance. He was one of if not the most gifted footy player of several generations.
But...he was poor for the team and the culture. He set bad examples for those around him who weren't blessed with his talent. He pushed boundaries and rules off the field.
There's a rule they've had at Netflix in their hiring policy for many years: "No brilliant jerks". It means just because you're amazingly gifted doesn't give you the right to be bad for culture. They will (do and have) fire the most brilliant person because they're culturally crappy. Why? Because an organisation like sports relies on teamwork and a shared high performance culture.
Hayne is a great example of what Netflix would call a brilliant jerk. How good he is doesn't matter if he's bad for team culture - and he is, has been, and always was.
Captain, you state Hayne was bad for team culture, but I never heard of any examples aside of off-field instances where he nibbled on a girls arm at the flicks in Parra and was shot at, in company with team-mates up at the Cross. And the club couldn't have been troubled by his demeanour, else they would have not resigned him time and time again.
In addition to the multiple (yep the one in the US as well) sexual assault charges and/or cash settlements, the biting of a woman, the shooting at the Cross, the picture out with Hells Angels bikies, the "cash money fam" drama, the showing his porno browsing history to schoolkids during a presentation, the fine at the GC for his lazy training...that's off the top of my head, I'm sure there was more.
Hayne was insanely talented, he was also a bit of a flog of a person. Both can be true and it's okay to acknowledge both.
Once he left the team we started winning more. He's a brilliant individual but evidence shows he's not good for the team. I'm pretty sure any Gold Coast fan would agree also.
Captain,
I don't think many could argue against those points you raise: he's a historical example of what NOT to do.
What I wonder is this.
Does he realize it? Does he want redemption? Can he be redeemed?
He played 176 games for us, and spent more of his life with us - from his junior years - than anywhere else. 23 Origins. 14 Tests for Australia & Prime Minister's, collectively.
He had paid heavily for his past. He's done his time.
It also is a question for our club. What kind of club do we want to be?
Do we throw away troubled eggs once we've "finished" with them?
Be the consumer philosophy our world is all about. Throwing things we no longer need or want - like dirty, old socks. And then wipe our hands clean of them, because it's easier to do, and even socially acceptable; even politically correct.
Maybe we can keep him out "in the cold" - it's not our problem - on the "No Dickhead Policy". Or Netflix's "No Brilliant Jerks". Or, on the premise we want to "move into the future, away from the past" (a hypocrisy if you think about it). Or because of sponsors. Or the woman's angle (we don't want to upset this apple cart). We want more women in the game. Good business.
Do we give him a chance for redemption? I'm actually not necessarily thinking as a "player", more as an ambassador of what not to do. And also perhaps something else. Something more.
Who knows? Maybe Tim Mannah could be right one-day. He believes Hayne has a great, intuitive footy mind that sees things others not even coaches (like Anderson or Smith) see.
He may still be able to offer something very beneficial to others - to us - and himself. It still could be a happy ending story. He also still has a family, a wife, loved ones, and needs to put food on the table.
Hypothetical. We give him a chance, on conditions he has to be genuinely interested in redeeming himself and our club too.
A lot of big IFs. But if we fail, at least we tried our best.
It also shows we don't easily abandon our own.
Hi Hoe,I really like your style, weighing up all sides of debate and always proceeding in an intelligent way. Kudos
Fair points HOE. And to be clear I'm not nor have I ever been a fan of wiping Hayne from the history books - his brilliant years and his talent will never be forgotten and shouldn't be hidden because of his extracurricular activities.
My point is - we are a club coming out of the wilderness with clear cultural problems. We have a deep division between players and club and a previous coach who (for better or worse) created a siege mentality.
If we truly want to reinvent ourselves and create this new Eels culture of hard work, engagement, teamwork and winning...does Hayne represent that? His legacy suggests not. Hayne was always bigger than the team, bigger than the game - he was a brand unto himself. And whilst all of that self promotion made him a superstar, it was also the cause for his numerous indiscretions and ultimately his fall.
I would love to involve previous Eels players who were Eels at all costs - who were people we'd be proud to lead the culture of tomorrow. Haynes story simply doesn't fit that design. If he wants to be involved in the club in the background, quietly, without any fanfare or self promotion...I'd be all for it.
I've wanted to see Hayne have a redemption arc since he was 18 and I always believe it's never too late to change. But redemption arcs don't start with the headlines, they start with the hard work. Let's see if that is something Hayne is interested in now. Call me a sceptic or a realist, but I'm not going to hold my breath. I would love to be wrong.
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