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Michael Hagan: put up or shut up, Jarryd Hayne
By Paul Kent | July 18, 2008 12:00am
Ultimatum ... Jarryd Hayne at Parramatta training. Photograph: Brett Costello / The Daily Telegraph
PARRAMATTA coach Michael Hagan has been forced to settle unrest sparked by Luke Burt's sacking after Jarryd Hayne's demand 10 days ago to play fullback. Hayne was moved to fullback in the wake of Burt's dumping earlier this week, concerning senior players that Hayne had dictated to the coach.
The players also felt a substantial amount of loyalty to Burt.
However, Hagan last night declared the switch had nothing to do with Hayne's demand and that, more, Hayne is at risk himself from getting the chop if his own form does not improve.
"We saw some improvement in what he did last week but I think we are still entitled to see more from him, to be honest," Hagan said.
Tonight's Manly game is Hayne's first and possibly only chance to justify his demand to play fullback.
The Eels take on the table-topping Sea Eagles at Brookvale Oval desperately hoping to turn around their season after recently falling out of the eight.
While they have pinpointed several key areas for improvement, Burt's performances at fullback have been a concern for some time.
A clearly worried Hagan has given the Parramatta veteran the week off to sort himself out rather than send him back to play park football with Wentworthville.
His deteriorating form in recent weeks has heavily affected the Eels' overall performance.
His runs during the past month have almost halved on his 2007 season average (11.3 to 5.2), while his yardage gains have dropped by nearly 40 per cent (99.6m to 60.5m).
The impact on the Eels went well beyond his own input, though. It meant Burt struggled to kick-start Parramatta's sets, which subsequently bogged down their whole attack.
A frustrated Hagan finally saw no choice but to stand Burt down.
He was secretly dropped during the week but the decision, coinciding with Hayne's request following the loss to Penrith a round earlier, could not have been more ill-timed.
It suggested that Hayne had forced the coach's hand and that Burt, a popular player among his teammates, had been shifted aside to accommodate the Eels' State of Origin winger.
"If Luke had played as well as we know he can he would still be there," Hagan said.
Burt's poor statistics, however, clearly illustrate just how much his football has deteriorated.
While understandably pleased with his new opportunity, tonight's game still leaves Hayne with a lot to prove to his coach, himself and, most of all, his teammates.
The message from Hagan could not be clearer: The rest is up to you.
Hayne's own performances in recent weeks have struggled to excite.
Tonight's switch comes after a recent switch from left wing to right wing where, like Burt, his recent figures have failed to match the standards he set in 2007.
Yet he is still down on runs and metres gained in recent weeks, while breaking the line just once in the past month.
His missed tackles and errors have also increased.
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/nrl/story/0,21985,24037549-14823,00.html
