http://www.news.com.au/sport/nrl/pe...e/news-story/fecbb28bb3b21af46a04b982a329ef45
Peter Sterling not sold on Jarryd Hayne
April 24, 20178:25pm
JARRYD Hayne’s return to the Gold Coast Titans helped them to their biggest win of the season on Saturday against reigning premiers the Cronulla Sharks.
The Titans’ stars impressive showing prompted many to immediately throw him into calculations for a New South Wales State of Origin jersey.
Peter Sterling will act as Laurie Daley’s adviser in selecting the New South Wales Origin side, but the league legend is not yet sold on Hayne.
While Sterling admits Hayne was “the icing on the cake” for the Titans on Saturday, he told
Triple M’s Deadset Legends that the former Dally M medal winner must do more if he is to make a return to the representative arena.
“Not after 80 minutes, you need to see a lot more from him,” Sterling said. “I want to see a block of stuff from him.
“We know what he can do, but it’s been a long time since we’ve seen Jarryd play some good consistent rugby league.”
Sterling says while Hayne was lauded for his flashy skills against the Sharks, he wants to see the former NFL star return to the form that won him a Dally M medal.
He may have had an instant impact in his return from an ankle injury, adding some much needed polish to a young and inexperienced Titans side.
But the Parramatta Eels legend wants to see the Jarryd Hayne of old, a player who wasn’t about trick plays, but who enjoyed mixing it up in the trenches, and focusing on the little things.
“He won me over going back a number of seasons ago at Brookvale Oval in a night game,” Sterling said.
“The big plays he made that night was getting the ball back into the field of play a metre past his own tryline. They were tough metres.
“That was better than any 50 or 60m run or cut out passes, he played as tough as I’ve seen anybody play that night.”
There is a logjam forming in the New South Wales backline, as James Tedesco, Matt Moylan and Josh Dugan all have claims to the fullback jersey that Hayne covets.
Hayne has played representative football on the wing and in the centres and his versatility could be an added bonus for the Blues.
While Sterling has doubts about Hayne, it seems the issue is one he may lose out on at the selection table with coach Laurie Daley.
Daley was asked about Hayne’s impressive return on
NRL 360 and his view seems to differ from that of Sterling.
“He’d be pretty hard to leave out if he plays good football between then and now,” Daley said.