Eels Blogs

Jarryd Hayne’s first game back for Parramatta will be his 200th.

Given the journey he has been on since he last played for the club four years ago - a season of NFL in San Francisco, a pre-Olympics flirtation with the Fijian rugby sevens team and an ill-fated stint with the Gold Coast - there were times he thought he wouldn’t get there.

However, the planets have aligned in such a way that he will celebrate the milestone in the most appropriate way: in his comeback match for the blue and golds against local rivals Penrith.

“It’s going to be unbelievable,” Hayne told Fairfax Media. “I just think it’s special in the way it’s worked out.

“Being here now, after the injuries that I had last year, it worked out perfect for that first game back to be 200.

“You can’t control the future and to have my 200th in my first game back for Parra against the local rivals, it’s special.”

The opening round of the NRL season will be one to celebrate for some of the game’s biggest names. Johnathan Thurston will mark his 300th NRL appearance when he makes his comeback in front of his home fans when the Cowboys host Cronulla on Friday night. Billy Slater, if he recovers from his shoulder injury in time, will also join the magical 300 club the following night when the Storm take on Canterbury in Perth.

Much has been made of those impending milestones, with North Queensland officials even booking Jessica Mauboy to perform a concert straight after full-time as part of the Thurston celebrations. However, Hayne’s 200th hasn’t registered a single mention in the lead up to his much-hyped return, a surprise given everything the cross-code star does is newsworthy.

It appeared Hayne would reach the mark while playing for the Gold Coast, although injuries and scheduling have transpired in such a way that he has never played against Parramatta and finished his Titans stint stuck on 199 first-grade appearances.

Ideally, Hayne’s first game back for the Eels would be a home fixture, giving the club an opportunity to promote the event in front of their own fans. However, taking on the Panthers first up has turned out to be a fortunate stroke of serendipity.

“It would have been good if it was at home, but being at Penrith, that’s where I had my 100th and my 150th,” Hayne said.

“Penrith is a bit of a stomping ground for my historic moments. I debuted there as well.”

The return of Hayne will be one of the highlights of the derby, although the addition of James Maloney to the Panthers - at the expense of former skipper Matt Moylan - will provide another storyline.

“Penrith have recruited so well that their fans will be pumped,” Hayne said.

“We’ve recruited so well that our fans will be pumped too. It’s going to be an unbelievable game.”

Parramatta coach Brad Arthur made the bold decision to bring Hayne back to the Eels, believing he could still make a contribution. Hayne sacrificed $700,000 to do so in an indication of how much he wanted to return.

“It’s nice for Jarryd to have his 200th, but I’m sure it’s more important for him to play with his teammates again,” Arthur said.

“Being back in the blue and gold jersey is more of a milestone for him.”

When Hayne left the Eels, he did so as their fullback and the recipient of a second Dally M medal. He will return in the centres without the pressure of being the main man. It is a mark of the 30-year-old’s selflessness - a trait he has not always been known for - that he has been mentoring Bevan French on the intricacies of playing in his preferred No.1 jersey.

“He’s got so much experience about the game and so much knowledge,” French said.

“For me personally, he’s helped me a couple of times positionally with the fullback role.

“It’s not just me, it’s other people in other positions as well. Collectively as a group, whenever we have meetings, he brings up some good points. Not only is he experienced and bringing an X-factor, he’s got a lot of knowledge about the game as well and that’s always good to have.”