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Eels legend Nathan Hindmarsh reveals character trait set to lift Jarryd Hayne
NATHAN Hindmarsh wasn’t shy to criticise ex-teammate Jarryd Hayne when his NRL return with the Titans went pear shaped but the Parramatta legend hasn’t given up hope that the two-time Dally M medallist can reclaim his spot among the NRL’s elite at the age of 30.
Hindmarsh watched from close quarters as Hayne’s career took off as a teenager, with the pair sharing the Eels dressing room for the first seven years of the star fullback’s NRL career.
Their time together included arguably the greatest run of individual performances of all-time when Hayne virtually single-handedly led Parramatta to the 2009 grand final as he claimed the mantle of the best player in the game.
A lot has changed for Hayne and the Eels since, with Parramatta’s prodigal son returning to a club bouncing back strongly from a devastating salary cap scandal, with Brad Arthur building a team that was already a serious contender without the dream-chasing veteran.
That will almost certainly see him give up his favoured No.1 jersey, with Clint Gutherson and Bevan French duelling for the fullback spot in the Eels’ best 17.
Hayne is likely to start the season at right centre and despite a rough start to his second coming in blue and gold, Hindmarsh has made some observations that bode well for 2018.
“I’m hoping he can get back to the form he was in the season before he went to the NFL,” Hindmarsh told
foxsports.com.au.
“We forget that he won the Dally M Medal that year (2014) and he’s really only had one season back.
“We’ve seen how good he can be in his last season for the Eels and 2009, those kinds of seasons, I hope he gets it back to that type of form.”
Hindmarsh says Hayne is the type of player to draw motivation from knockers and sees no reason why he wouldn’t approach 2018 with a siege mentality.
Not only that, Hayne is also on a one-year contract and will need to significantly outperform his 2017 season to attract decent offers to remain in the NRL.
“I think the fact that he’s only got a one-year deal will open his eyes a little bit but only time will tell,” Hindmarsh said.
“Hopefully for Parramatta and for Haynesy he has a good season.
“I think he’s the kind of guy who likes to prove doubters wrong. And we saw the effort he put in to play NFL. That’s proven now that he likes a challenge and he stands up for challenges.”
Hindmarsh’s expectations of Hayne come at a time when he is trying to rebuild an image that has taken hit after hit since he returned to Australia following his brief stint with the San Francisco 49ers.
While his performance on the field this season will be vital to get Eels fans onside again he has already made some positive steps, putting teammates before himself during the pre-season.
Despite admitting he’d love to win his No.1 jersey back,
Hayne has been helping out the young players who stand in his way, according to 22-year-old Bevan French.
“Jarryd’s been helping me out a fair bit at training,” French recently told Fox Sports.
“The main thing he’s been helping me with is defence. Things that go unnoticed when you’re watching footy as a kid or just at home on TV.
“You don’t see what the fullback does away in defence as well.
“It’s a pretty important job for the fullback to get the numbers right and send the people in the right direction.
“It’s a pretty tough job at times and Haynesy’s been helping me out with that and I’m looking forward to putting that to the test.”
