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http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/hayne-plane-hits-turbulence/story-e6frext9-1225900761610
IS IT a train? Is it a plane? Is it over? The Sydney Roosters might have committed the greatest sin on the game's young fans since David Gallop stole Harry Potter's glasses. The Roosters, following the kind of win on Saturday night that has many declaring them the new premiership favourites, have risked exposing the game's No. 1 drawcard as a player that can be got.
Behind a good kick chase and a solid line, the - albeit, few - deficiencies in Jarryd Hayne's game were exposed on Saturday.
And so were Parramatta.
Without Hayne, the Eels aren't much better than an A-grade side and any attempt to pose as genuine title contenders is just posturing. But now it appears that even with him the Eels are in for a long, hard end to the winter. They are no hope to win the comp.
All that remains is for the rest of the NRL to take the blueprint offered by the Roosters and the Hayne Plane will be grounded.
And so too the Eels.
Hayne is most dangerous on the kick return and the Roosters shut that down.
While he did break free briefly for a trademark try, they did enough to ensure that from now on Hayne's significance can be dulled.
The Roosters' plan was simple, but disciplined. They kicked early in the count to catch Hayne out of position.
It forced him to turn and retrieve the ball rather than be positioned to take it going forward.
That, accompanied by a ruler-straight defensive line on the kick chase, had Hayne struggling to find the soft spots to puncture.
The Roosters also kept their line on both sides of the ruck, shutting down Hayne's option to slip to the opposite side and catch out slack defenders. And they kept their line straight.
This blueprint is disastrous for the Eels.
The Roosters' lateral movement also highlighted Hayne's defensive laziness and they exploited it.
Hayne is no doubt brilliant with the ball, and occasionally in defence - as he was two weeks ago when he held up David Stagg.
But on the weekend the great Bozo Fulton declared that Hayne should watch Billy Slater on eagle cam to see why Slater is the game's No. 1 defensive fullback.
He always positions himself perfectly.
When you consider that for every try you let in you have to score one just to balance the scoreboard, the significance is more clear.
By kicking early, the Roosters exploited Hayne's defence another way.
His small failings undermine his game and, if not rectified, will bring down any argument that he belongs where his brilliance threatens to take him.
Queensland rejoiced when Hayne was named at fullback for NSW in games two and three this year.
This sounds ridiculous.
When I suggested on The Matty Johns Show that I wouldn't have picked Hayne at fullback for the Blues, the crowd booed.
Their reaction pinkened my delicate cheeks with its ferocity, but I knew what Queensland knew. Hayne has one of the slowest play-the-balls in the NRL, which sounds almost trivial, right?
But Origin games are all about yardage. Win the yardage battle, win the game.
And the strength of every set of six begins with the kick return. If the tackle is lost there - if it's slow and the defence is allowed to set - the whole set becomes a defensive bash-up.
Slater almost always pokes his head through the line to land at speed and set up his team's dominance for the next five tackles.
While more brilliant, Hayne is less consistent.
The Roosters have temporarily grounded the Hayne Plane and if he weren't so brilliant you could believe he'll never make it back.
But he's too good for that. He's just refuelling.
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/hayne-plane-hits-turbulence/story-e6frext9-1225900761610
IS IT a train? Is it a plane? Is it over? The Sydney Roosters might have committed the greatest sin on the game's young fans since David Gallop stole Harry Potter's glasses. The Roosters, following the kind of win on Saturday night that has many declaring them the new premiership favourites, have risked exposing the game's No. 1 drawcard as a player that can be got.
Behind a good kick chase and a solid line, the - albeit, few - deficiencies in Jarryd Hayne's game were exposed on Saturday.
And so were Parramatta.
Without Hayne, the Eels aren't much better than an A-grade side and any attempt to pose as genuine title contenders is just posturing. But now it appears that even with him the Eels are in for a long, hard end to the winter. They are no hope to win the comp.
All that remains is for the rest of the NRL to take the blueprint offered by the Roosters and the Hayne Plane will be grounded.
And so too the Eels.
Hayne is most dangerous on the kick return and the Roosters shut that down.
While he did break free briefly for a trademark try, they did enough to ensure that from now on Hayne's significance can be dulled.
The Roosters' plan was simple, but disciplined. They kicked early in the count to catch Hayne out of position.
It forced him to turn and retrieve the ball rather than be positioned to take it going forward.
That, accompanied by a ruler-straight defensive line on the kick chase, had Hayne struggling to find the soft spots to puncture.
The Roosters also kept their line on both sides of the ruck, shutting down Hayne's option to slip to the opposite side and catch out slack defenders. And they kept their line straight.
This blueprint is disastrous for the Eels.
The Roosters' lateral movement also highlighted Hayne's defensive laziness and they exploited it.
Hayne is no doubt brilliant with the ball, and occasionally in defence - as he was two weeks ago when he held up David Stagg.
But on the weekend the great Bozo Fulton declared that Hayne should watch Billy Slater on eagle cam to see why Slater is the game's No. 1 defensive fullback.
He always positions himself perfectly.
When you consider that for every try you let in you have to score one just to balance the scoreboard, the significance is more clear.
By kicking early, the Roosters exploited Hayne's defence another way.
His small failings undermine his game and, if not rectified, will bring down any argument that he belongs where his brilliance threatens to take him.
Queensland rejoiced when Hayne was named at fullback for NSW in games two and three this year.
This sounds ridiculous.
When I suggested on The Matty Johns Show that I wouldn't have picked Hayne at fullback for the Blues, the crowd booed.
Their reaction pinkened my delicate cheeks with its ferocity, but I knew what Queensland knew. Hayne has one of the slowest play-the-balls in the NRL, which sounds almost trivial, right?
But Origin games are all about yardage. Win the yardage battle, win the game.
And the strength of every set of six begins with the kick return. If the tackle is lost there - if it's slow and the defence is allowed to set - the whole set becomes a defensive bash-up.
Slater almost always pokes his head through the line to land at speed and set up his team's dominance for the next five tackles.
While more brilliant, Hayne is less consistent.
The Roosters have temporarily grounded the Hayne Plane and if he weren't so brilliant you could believe he'll never make it back.
But he's too good for that. He's just refuelling.
