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A week is a long time in rugby league and even longer at the Eels. What other clubs might experience in a decade, Parramatta are able to squeeze into a matter of weeks!
In many ways it is truly impressive. In other ways, and for the fans I imagine, it is like waking up with a hangover every day – you swear it won’t happen again but it always does.
This is a follow-up piece to say that over the past seven days, my resolve has strengthened – Hayne will never again pull on an Eels jersey in anger. Here’s why I’m more convinced than ever.
In the past week the NSW Government has kicked the Eels board out on their rears and placed in charge an administrator.
Now this is probably a very good thing for the club and the fans alike. Things had gone on far too long with the old directors and their approach to running the club – a serious change was needed and dramatic action has been taken.
Some people are using this as a reason to claim that Hayne is more likely to return to the Eels – things are going to get better now and so surely Jarryd will come back? Nope!
The removal of the board can be likened to when an addict hits rock bottom and starts getting the help and support they need to turn things around. It’s a critical step and as painful as it certainly is, many say it has to happen before the long road of recovery can truly start.
But that road of recovery is still long! And while the Eels are walking that long road it is unlikely I believe that an Administrator or a new board is going to rush to offer a reported $1.5 million a year to a 28-year-old Hayne who hasn’t played NRL for a while.
Even more so when you consider that this past season, without Hayne, they’ve actually been playing some very good footy. Why spend that money on Hayne when there’s a chance to retain current players and add some talented youth or up-and-coming players to build an Eels club that can compete for years?
From the Hayne camp point of view there must be concerns too. The Eels are facing criminal investigations and are continuing to fight the salary cap rort punishment with the NRL. Is that the kind of Club that Hayne is really going to rely on and trust to deliver such a huge contract? Are 3rd parties really going to want to get involved with Eels players when this is all going on in the background?
Of course the Club itself is not meant to be involved in third party agreements at all but any company marketing or PR director can see how people will make the easy jump from their own brand to Hayne and from Hayne to the badly damaged Eels brand. Not really the type of association companies are looking for.
The third point to consider is that the ARU and Waratahs seem to be solidifying their intentions to offer Hayne an attractive opportunity. On Wednesday Hayne and his manager were spotted coming out of ARU HQ and while I’m sure the coffee there is lovely, it’s unlikely that they just popped round for a friendly chat.
Rugby Union does have the issue that they cannot involve Hayne in the Wallabies as he’s already “played” for Fiji and that does mean some of the potential cash in a rugby offer won’t be available.
However the ARU can top up a Tahs offer and, if Folau’s experience is anything to go by, there will be plenty of third party opportunities for Hayne.
Add to that the fact that the ARU might be able to offer Hayne an 8-month contract which would leave the opportunity open to head to France or Japan for a few months and his bank balance could well be $1 million healthier within 12 months.
As I wrote in an article earlier this week, Australian Rugby Union is in a tricky situation at the moment. Being able to announce that Jarryd Hayne is joining a Super Rugby side would be a huge win after a season that has ended quite limply from an Aussie club point of view.
They will certainly be motivated to make things work for Hayne if it means they can stick him and Folau on every billboard around Sydney!
So while the Eels are forced to move slowly and responsibly, the reasonably cashed-up vultures of the ARU are gathering. It’s going to be a very tempting offer from rugby – travel, money, a new physical challenge, can still be based in Sydney, won’t be going back against his word to never play against the Eels.
Time will tell as it always does but it looks like the biggest story of August could well be Hayne joining the Tahs instead of Hayne winning gold at the Olympics.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.