It has been well documented that the Board of the Parramatta Eels club has held Jarryd Hayne in high regard and as the most suitable player to lead the team for the 2013 season.
Ever since Nathan Hindmarsh’s retirement from rugby league early last year, Hayne’s name was in the mix for the captaincy job.
This idea would have been fully endorsed by failed NSW Origin Coach and 2013 Parramatta Coach, Ricky Stuart, whom has a soft spot for Hayne, after coaching him for several years with NSW.
The theory is, that by giving Hayne the captaincy role, it would give him the drive to inspire a team and possibly lead the Eels to victory. Sounds good in theory, but is Hayne ready for this sort of responsibility?
Fast forward a year from Hindmarsh’s retirement announcement and Jarryd Hayne and Reni Maitua are the co-captains for the 2013 season.
Tim Mannah, who had been captain in the 2012 season in Hindmarsh’s absence, has been asked to take a back seat while he still maintains a senior role.
Although Hayne recognised that Mannah would be a great fit for captain early in the 2012 season, he has accepted the responsibility with arms wide open, which may seem as bit of a slap in the face for Mannah.
Although the season is early, there have need question marks raised already with regard to how Hayne has handled the captaincy role.
The season for the Eels started well and it appeared that the Eels board’s theory was correct. The Eels dismantled the New Zealand Warriors, with Hayne scoring three tries.
The following week Hayne failed to convert critical plays which saw the Eels go down to the Bulldogs. This is by no means a reflection of Hayne’s captaincy however had he converted those opportunities, how he handled Friday night’s game against the Tigers may have been far different.
The next match, where the Eels took on the Tigers, was where Hayne showed his true captaincy colours. This was an error-filled match for the Eels who spilled the ball early in their sets, gave away turn over after turn over only to be ravaged by an all attacking Wests Tigers outfit.
This pent up frustration led Hayne to show his frustration by inappropriately talking to the ref and making quick-fire, shoot from the hip decisions.
I was surprised to hear Phil Gould comment on Hayne’s lack of leadership qualities displayed in that game.
For someone as biased towards Hayne as Gould to make that kind of statement really shows that Hayne is not ready for the responsibilities of being a captain.
Hayne is still very much an individual player with great individual brilliance (at times) and it’s highly unlikely this brilliance is going to alter his character, especially when the chips are down.
Being a captain is rarely something that is taught. It is something that is inherent in the character of a person.
Players like Darren Lockyer and Cameron Smith who consistently put the team first and make clear and calm decisions under pressure are one of a kind. To bestow the captain’s responsibility on Jarryd Hayne and expect Lockyer/Smith results is a tough ask.
Hopefully in the games to come Hayne will understand what it takes to lead a team and the Eels can string a few wins together.
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