NRL: Jarryd Hayne, Parramatta Eels, Titans - what really happened in massive sliding doors moment
Did Henry want Hayne?
JARRYD Hayne’s first snub from the Parramatta Eels came with a somewhat legitimate excuse.
His old club was mired in a salary cap scandal. An administrator was running the club and dishing out new contracts for more than $1 million per season was unthinkable, given his brief was to clean up outlandish spending.
Hayne signed for the Titans in early August last year, for $1.2 million per season. The Eels reportedly made an offer of just $700,000, communicated over the phone and only in the last 48 hours of his scramble for a mid-season comeback.
“I’ve been back from Fiji for over a month now and every week I’d ask my manager, ‘What’s Parra doing? Where’s Parra’s offer?’’ Hayne said.
“There was nothing on the table ... it was disappointing.”
Jarryd Hayne playing for the Eels.Source: News Corp Australia
Young prospect Bevan French impressed coach Brad Arthur sufficiently that he was promised a crack as first-choice fullback in 2017. Arthur took French’s future so seriously, that he was quietly shooting down any public threats to the diminutive livewire, making clear that the club had no interest in chasing teen superstar Kalyn Ponga and also that new recruit Josh Hoffman was viewed as a centre/winger.
French had his contract upgraded and extended until the end of 2019 by the Eels last October, despite the fact he was already signed through 2018. Then there was Clint Gutherson.
The versatile ex-Manly back was strong in his first Parramatta season, making his rep debut for City. He also had his contract extended through 2019 during December and his pre-season for this year gave a sign of things to come - he absolutely killed it, to the extent that some believe he may be the fittest player in the NRL.
Ben Ikin, Nathan Ryan and Ben Glover are joined by player manager Steve Gillis to discuss the Eels’ incredible season just 12 months on from salary cap disaster.
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The bottom line: With Gutherson and French locked away, in form and with the promise of better to come, the Eels were never truly interested when Hayne was linked with a possible return during April this year. Arthur had the players he wanted, with fullback covered twice over, at a fraction of Hayne’s asking price and with none of the superstar baggage.
Mitchell Moses is now alongside Corey Norman in a young, rapidly improving playmaking combination, with both contracted through 2019 - wiping out the prospect once raised by Hayne that he might finish his career in the Eels halves.
There was stony silence to speculation that Hayne could rejoin Parra, no offer ever came, and he eventually took up his option with Gold Coast.
What has happened since has made that call from the Eels look like a masterstroke.
Jarryd Hayne in Titans gear.Source: Getty Images
WHAT’S HAPPENED AT PARRAMATTA
First, something to remember.
After Hayne became a megastar and a top earner in 2009, the club finished 12th in 2010, 14th in 2011, 16th in 2012, 16th in 2013 and 10th in 2014. That’s two wooden spoons, no finals appearances. The Eels never won a thing with Hayne, unless you count his Dally Ms, and he was known as a somewhat indifferent teammate, even during his captaincy.
Arthur, Eels coach since 2014, set out to create a team that was exactly that: A unified outfit without any rockstars.
From the disaster of losing 12 points in the salary cap scandal last season, a decision handed down in early May, his team still had sufficient pride to notch 13 wins - which would have put them into the finals if not for the penalty. They finished 14th, dodging the wooden spoon despite effectively having six wins voided.
They came into this season with something to prove and they’ve done it in fine style. The Eels are bound for their first finals series since 2009 (Hayne’s extraordinary breakout season) and a top-four spot is within their grasp.
They coasted through an Origin period in which they played all three affected rounds, notching wins against the Rabbitohs, Dragons and Storm. They didn’t lose a single player to Origin duty, as opposed to being left without an influential figure like Hayne.
Brad Arthur with Jarryd Hayne in 2014.Source: News Corp Australia
In one respect, you wonder what difference Hayne might have made: The Eels rank just 11th in attack and have a points differential of just +12. Their full attacking capabilities are yet to be realised.
Yet Hayne is 29 and has never truly replicated his imperious 2009 peak. French is 21, Gutherson 22, Moses 22 and Norman 26. They will only get better.
Gutherson was absolutely brilliant before going down with an ACL tear, starring at both five-eighth and fullback to win ‘future Origin player’ tips. French has maintained promising signs despite being bumped back out to the wing and gets another chance to impress at fullback with Gutherson gone.
Norman will be a serious contender for Queensland Origin duty next season as the post-Thurston/Cronk era looms, while Moses is a great white hope for NSW. The other position Hayne might have played, centre, has been superbly covered by veterans Michael Jennings and Brad Takairangi.
The Eels also have virtually ever key player signed through 2019 (with the exception of outgoing wing sensation Semi Radradra), while the pack will be bolstered by Kane Evans next season.
Parramatta are going up and they’re doing it without Hayne.
Clint Gutherson.Source: Getty Images
WHAT’S HAPPENED AT GOLD COAST
Hayne was desperate to play mid-2016 and he made his comeback in a team that was grinding towards the finals in workmanlike fashion. Barring a few highlight reel moments, his introduction disrupted that team fabric and ultimately the Titans drifted into eighth and a heavy week one finals loss to Brisbane.
Taking on Hayne’s contract, Gold Coast farewelled a number of backline players, including David Mead, Josh Hoffman and Nene Macdonald, while also shipping out colourful Test star Greg Bird. They welcomed some strong recruits in Kevin Proctor and Jarrod Wallace. With exciting young halves Ash Taylor and Kane Elgey in place, they may have harboured top-four hopes for 2017.
Yet things have not improved for the Titans this year and recent claims that
Henry never truly wanted to sign Hayne in the first place, only to be overruled by a club board that saw dollar signs, have been ugly.
Henry has not disputed those claims, as he fights to keep his job amid a season that has Gold Coast running 14th, out of finals contention.
Despite being a superstar No.1, Hayne has played fullback, centre and five-eighth for the Titans, never cutting a settled figure. His form has been only fleetingly brilliant. There have also been persistent rumours of a slack attitude and a poor relationship with Henry.
Reports emerged in March that Hayne had been fined over his attitude to training and also dumped from the club’s leadership group after arguments with teammates and ballooning weight. He lasted a matter of weeks in the leadership group, having only been appointed in pre-season.
“Obviously we are a team it’s not about individual stuff, we’re here to work as a unit and be a real competitor in the competition,” Taylor said at the time. “That’s his own individual actions and obviously he’s been punished for it.”
Hayne was furious that the internal rumblings became public, hitting out on Twitter at “loose lips” within the club. His relationship with Henry, who was not interested in indulging any special treatment, reportedly went south from there.
Yet with Hayne not living up to his price tag, despite winning an Origin recall, he found few suitors for a club switch and has recommitted to the Titans. When he was out on Blues duty, the Titans lost to the Rabbitohs but dodged two other affected weeks with byes.
Hayne may not have to worry about remaining under Henry, with the club reviewing his position after a 54-0 thrashing from Brisbane that was followed by claims the coach had lost his players.
As for the Broncos, the big brother club are openly pursuing outstanding No.7 Taylor, who is off-contract next season after leaving Brisbane for the Titans at the end of 2015.
With Ben Hunt moving on, Brisbane are placed to make an aggressive offer for him to return and potentially steal Gold Coast’s greatest long-term prospect - who has not developed any especially impressive chemistry with Hayne.
https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nr...t/news-story/f31ca8f9de93d381fcd474e920e34cdc
