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Jarryd Hayne wants a new club. Or at least he reportedly wants a new club.
Let’s assume the reports are on the money and Hayne really does want to fly out of the Titans and get a gig at a Sydney club. I’m sure there’s a joke or seven to be made about him following his latest dream, but should anyone actually give Hayne a spot on their roster?
No. And here’s why.
The obvious destination is Parramatta. Dean Ritchie has already said that’s where Hayne should head, and you can be certain he won’t be the last.
But it makes no sense for the Eels.
When Hayne left the NRL for the NFL, he sent a letter to Eels fans saying “I’m leaving knowing that I have signed a ‘lifetime agreement’ with the Eels, so if I return to the NRL, it will be to Parramatta.”
(Grant Trouville © nrlphotos.com)
We all know how that played out.
Why should anyone at the club welcome Hayne back with open arms after he failed to follow through on such a public display of (faux) loyalty?
Even if you take that out of the equation, where would Hayne even fit into their side?
His best position remains fullback, but Clint Gutherson has a monopoly on the Eels’ number one jersey. As Parramatta’s best player last season, ‘King Gutho’ won’t be giving up that spot anytime soon.
Fact is, Parramatta came closer than anyone else to beating Melbourne in the finals – even without Gutherson. Yes, their line-up needs a bit of tinkering with to turn them into genuine premiership threats, but is Hayne the piece that completes the Parramatta puzzle?
Not at all. He just hasn’t played well enough since his NRL return to make the Eels think he can push them to a premiership.
The same goes for any other Sydney club.
Based on the past 18 months, there’s no way Hayne is worth anything close to the pay packet he currently takes home. Even the Roosters and their salary sombrero should be put off by his $1 million+ per year price tag.
But let’s put all the on-field reasoning aside, and ignore the fact that Hayne is both a bad positional fit and too expensive for the vast majority of clubs.
Let’s ask, in all seriousness, which club would sit comfortably with Hayne at their club after seeing what’s happened to the Titans over the past year and a bit.
(Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)
Hayne himself has underperformed, and the Titans’ results have mirrored his own form. Coach Neil Henry got the sack after a relationship breakdown with his highest-paid player, and now, just a couple of months later, Hayne supposedly wants out of the club.
It’s a laughable turn of events, and one that should put every team off throwing their hat in the ring for Hayne’s services.
If he was producing the same league-best play of five to ten years ago, you’d understand clubs overlooking the potential culture clash Hayne could bring with him.
But in his current funk, he’s just not worth the potential headaches.
Mal Meninga summed it up nicely when he said: “He hasn’t played well enough to do that. I think he needs to make sure that he stays at the club and plays the best he possibly can for them.
“They’re the ones who invested in him and he hasn’t invested back in the club.”
Ultimately, Hayne is contracted to the Titans. He shouldn’t be able to leave so soon after a fallout with Henry just happened to coincide with the coach getting the sack.
That in itself should be enough of a reason for other clubs to stay away.
UPDATE: Jarryd Hayne has denied today’s reports, saying he hasn’t asked manager Wayne Beavis to speak to Sydney-based teams.