Before Friday night, the question was whether Jarryd Hayne could match his feats of 2009. Now the question has become – Can he better them?
Hayne’s brilliance reached a breathtaking new level in an opening 30 minutes during which the Parramatta superstar blew Canterbury off the park at ANZ Stadium.
In one of the most gobsmacking openings to an NRL match in memory, Hayne absolutely dominated to stun the crowd of 34,662 as the Eels notched a 32-16 win.
He scored two tries in the first six minutes, one in the first set of the match, and had a hand in two more as the Eels raced out to a 28-4 halftime lead.
To top it off, he produced one of the try saves of the season to snuff out a Canterbury revival with a desperate tackle on David Stagg in the 67th minute.
Few believed Hayne could match his amazing feats of 2009, when he almost single-handedly led Parramatta to a grand final, but he appears ready to top them.
His first try came when he bounced off one defender before swerving past another three to complete a typically classy 25m individual effort.
His second was even better, creating the movement 70m out with a beautiful cut-out ball to Timana Tahu and then backing up to finish it.
The NSW fullback celebrated both with what is becoming his “Hayne Plane” trademark – arms outstretched – with the “Hayne Train” metaphor no longer seeming enough for an emerging great.
Fans and commentators alike were already incredulous, aware they were watching one of the great performances in an NRL match, but Hayne wasn’t done yet.
In the 11th minute he threw a superb cut-out ball for Krisnan Inu’s try and a 16-0 lead after 11 minutes.
A Brett Kimmorley try in the 17th minute gave the shellshocked Bulldogs some hope but they were left shaking their heads again when Hayne was involved in Inu’s second in the 25th minute for 22-4 before Ben Smith crossed in the 30th.
The Dogs showed some fight after the break to make it 28-16 with tries to Ben Barba and Andrew Ryan, but a controversial stripping penalty 20m out from the Bulldogs’ line halted the home side’s momentum as the Eels grabbed a 14-point buffer through Luke Burt.
The Bulldogs’ finals chances are now in the mathematical category, while a third straight victory for the Parramatta juggernaut could have the Eels in the eight at the end of the weekend.
Hayne’s performance came on the back of two straight man of the match awards in Parramatta’s wins over North Queensland and Penrith.
“He was as good in the defensive part of the game as he was in the offensive,” Eels coach Daniel Anderson said.
“I think Jarryd is definitely a catalyst for us as a team. If he smells confidence and exudes an aura of confidence then I think everyone gets a couple of inches taller.”
But the whirlwind start still caught Anderson by surprise.
“The boys are very talented and they played to what their strengths were and they got a couple of quick play the balls and we got confident and away we went,” he said.
“It was a little bit the other way in the second half.”
Bulldogs coach Kevin Moore said his side had been “lethargic” in the opening passage.
“When blokes are poking their heads through tackles and getting quick play the ball and the 10 metres is more like 14, the momentum is very hard to stop, particularly blokes of that prowe
M1tch
Roar Guru
Billy's was great too, although Watmough helped him out with the arm carry. We have been waiting since Kogarah to see Hayne at his best again and he set the game alight.. Remember the gf last year, rabs and gus love Parra ;)
Barry
Guest
Maybe...Billy Slater pulled off a ripper in Origin and there's usually a couple of good ones each season. It was a sensational tackle and I acknowledge that Hayne had an absolute blinder (well 20 mins of one anyway) but even when he pulled off that tackle the commentators started roaring "How many tries is he going to save tonight ? How many times can he do it ?" Despite Haynes earlier valiant attempt to hold Ryan up he hadn't saved a try at all during the game but the commentators seem to go on this hyperbolic rampage whenever he does anything...maybe the quality of his early work had an intoxicating effect on Rabs and Gus...
M1tch
Roar Guru
That try saver on Stagg was one of the best you will ever see.
Barry
Guest
Commentators need to relax a little bit. Yes Hayne was devastating in those first 10 mins but after that there was a situation where he ran 40 metres across field and flings a wild flick pass into touch behind and over the head of his winger to be met with "Wow ! No one else in the world can do things like that ! Brilliant ! etc, etc... Likewise when he passed to Reddy who put Inu away for his second try. Gus : that's the mark of a great ball player to know if I give the ball to that guy he will set up his outside man, put that try down to Hayne etc, etc, etc ...all Hayne did was shovel the ball along the back line, what he did, he did well but any park footballer would be able to do the same thing in the same situation. Then the commentators said that Hayne had all the skills that Joey Johns, Fittler, Lewis, Daley had rolled into one. There were a few more names in there but they are the big ones that stood out. Come off it. Happy for brilliant play to be recognised but fair dinkum just cause he's having a good day don't turn every old thing he does into a superlative.
The Link
Guest
you obviously know France pretty well then
kovana
Guest
I have seen slater do those things as well.
Jeff
Guest
Maybe I'm mistaken about the POOR defence that the last three teams have shown against Jarryd. Guess he must be better than I give him credit for lol. But last nights Bulldog defence was terrible against all positions..
kovana
Guest
Lol... wait... what is a catalan?
The Link
Guest
Jarrod Hayne is doing things that no other Rugby Footballer in the world can do right now. Skill at the very highest level. Get on the Hayne train baby.
The Link
Guest
yeah I agree the Catalans should put in a huge offer.
kovana
Guest
France.. sign this boy up already.