Eels to keep versatile Hayne at fullback
8 hours ago November 25, 2013 12:00AM
HE has been a revelation at right centre for Australia but Parramatta coach Brad Arthur won't move Jarryd Hayne to that position unless the Eels star wants to make that shift.
Hayne scored eight tries from 15 matches for the Eels this season, but in just two World Cup games for the Kangaroos he has bagged seven -- four against USA in the quarter-finals and three in yesterday's semi-final against Fiji.
"It's something I'll have to talk to him about but at this stage I think he's a lot harder to handle at fullback," Arthur said yesterday. "No disrespect to the opposition, but they (Australia) won 62-0 and then 64-0 so he hasn't had to do too much defence out there.
"A centre in the NRL has to do a fair bit in defence which takes away your energy in attack.
"But Jarryd is doing a tremendous job in the centres (for Australia) over there, running a great line and he's got some quality players around him that he's linking well with.
"So there's a lot of factors going into it, but it hasn't surprised me how good he's been at No 4 even if he hasn't played a lot of centre before."
Arthur won't continue the experiment that former coaches Daniel Anderson and Ricky Stuart tried with Hayne at five-eighth.
"He'll be fullback unless he really wants to have a go at centre," Arthur said.
"Jarryd is Jarryd and he will have a go at anything. If he puts his mind to it, he will succeed.
"He always rises to another level when it's rep footy.
"We've just got to make sure we get him fully fit so he can play that standard for us."
One player Arthur does intend putting in the centres is former NSW Origin winger Will Hopoate.
The 21-year-old arrived for pre-season training last week just days after completing his two-year Mormon mission.
"We just want to get the ball delivered to his hands earlier as I think he's more of a creator, rather than just a finisher," Arthur said.
"On the wing you're so often just finishing off."
Ryan Morgan, Jacob Loko, Ken Sio and Willie Tonga, who played only four games last season due to injuries, will be in a battle for the other centre spot.
