Hayne's days at the back numbered if Ricky maintains hardline stance
Michael Chammas July 26, 2012
Fullback or five-eighth? ... Jarryd Hayne's positional play at the back may not be up to scratch, according to some suggestions. Photo: Getty Images
WAS last Saturday night the last Parramatta fans have seen of Jarryd Hayne at fullback?
It was only 14 months ago Ricky Stuart, bound for Parramatta next season, declared Hayne was better suited to five-eighth, leaving him out of the NSW side in favour of Josh Dugan for the series opener last year.
Stuart's since had a number of opportunities to bring Hayne into the Blues side as the No.1 but has gone with veteran Anthony Minichiello and Brett Stewart, reluctant to use the Eels superstar as a fullback in the
Stuart's opinion of Hayne, who yesterday had surgery to repair a medial ligament in his knee, is sure to be the topic of great conjecture in the lead up to his maiden season at the helm of the Eels.
It has cast plenty of uncertainty around Hayne's role in the team, with a return to five-eighth for the enigmatic 24-year-old imminent.
When Stuart revealed his forthright thoughts on Hayne last May, he said: ''I will be honest, I think Josh Dugan plays more a style of a game that I want to coach and personally I think there are some other positions on the footy field that Jarryd Hayne is better at.
''If you watched Jarryd Hayne play last night [against North Queensland] he played more like a second five-eighth or a five-eighth, and I think five-eighth is his best position. That is just me as a coach.''
That Stuart has had a number of opportunities to pick Hayne at fullback for NSW over the past two series but decided to keep him in the back line, suggests he has some concerns over Hayne's ability to handle the role.
There is a suggestion Hayne's positional play at the back isn't up to scratch, but the Eels aren't exactly blessed with a long list of players waiting to make the No.1 jersey their own.
Parramatta have also had plenty of difficulties settling on a five-eighth, with Ben Roberts, Casey McGuire and Luke Kelly sharing the role this season.
Unless Stuart's opinion of Hayne has changed over the past year, Hayne's fullback days appear to be numbered.
''The more Jarryd Hayne has the football in his hands or the more Jarryd Hayne is put in a position to get the football more, the better that football team is and the better Jarryd Hayne is as an individual,'' Stuart said last year.
''I am being as honest as I can be, I am not here to try and gloss over it all or make it warm and fuzzy. That is my opinion.''
But it may not be a certainty for Hayne to assume the No.6 jersey next season.
Quizzed on his belief Hayne wasn't a fullback, Stuart was last year asked if he would reconsider his decision in the future, in which he replied: ''Jarryd Hayne would fit into a team of mine and I would change. I would change for Jarryd.''
Hayne sustained a season-ending knee injury in the win against the Melbourne Storm last Saturday night. He went under the knife yesterday, but will be ready to return for the start of next year.
''Surgery went well,'' Hayne said on Twitter. ''Medial is back intact. Time to rest up and get my knee back to 100%, thanks again #TW for your msg's #Road2Recovery.''
http://m.smh.com.au/rugby-league/le...maintains-hardline-stance-20120725-22r0g.html
Well said, mate.
