Eels fans need to refocus their hatred

So the Hayne Plane has landed slightly further north than many thought it would. The Titans have locked down another superstar and this time it looks like it will stick.

As the rumours began to circulate on Wednesday morning that the Gold Coast side were about to make an incredible announcement, some of the strongest opinions were coming, unsurprisingly, from the fans of the Eels. And when I say “strongest opinions” that phrase covers everything from mature wishes of luck to vitriolic anger and hatred.

Throughout Wednesday social media, radio call in shows and TV interviews gave more and more Eels fans the chance to tell the world how hurt they felt by what they saw as gross dishonesty from their former hero. These fans are absolutely right to be angry and feel hurt and let down. But they are focusing on absolutely the wrong target.

They really need to adjust their sights on the former occupants of the board room of their club and unleash their emotions in that direction – because that’s where the blame really belongs.

We’ve heard and read Hayne’s quote about how he’s got a lifelong agreement with the Eels. For sure he’s regretting ever saying that, but why are Eels fans really angry at Jarryd for not rejoining the Club when the management have turned the place into a radioactive zone the likes of Chernobyl?

Fans keep commenting on how Hayne owed them some relief at the end of the most crippling season in their history. But they don’t seem to focus on why 2016 has been such a hellish year. Glossing over the unforgivable manner in which the club’s management has run the Eels into the ground, they instead start setting fire to Hayne memorabilia.

It is ridiculous and bizarrely shows the same lack of awareness that has got the club into this state in the first place.

Is Hayne guilt free? Not at all. The way he and/or his management have handled the past few weeks has not been very impressive. Alerting the media to their self-scheduled meeting with the ARU and Tahs was a bad decision and the way that they have allowed speculation to grow has not helped Hayne’s brand reputation – something he seems to care a lot about.

Ironically he really should have taken some lessons from Kieran Foran – the man many Eels fans assumed he was going to be replacing in blue and gold next season. While DCE was flip flopping between the Gold Coast and Brookvale, Foran was calmly and professionally going about his negotiations with the Eels.

Australians love winners but they hate individuals getting above their station. Hayne’s adventure to the NFL was applauded by most as someone following an ambition.

He seemed to go about achieving that ambition with a good deal of humility and we all shouted with support when he took the field in the real NFL season. But then this same humble Hayne seemed to take on a different approach. What he called a dream of playing for Fiji at the Olympics seemed to others as arrogant and disrespectful to those who had struggled and strived for years for the same opportunity.

And then his parading around Australian rugby union and league as well as French rugby has frustrated and annoyed many.

So yes, Hayne hasn’t done himself any favours. But does that mean that he deserves the level of hate and abuse that he’s received? Not in my book.

The Paramatta fans have spoken of broken promises and betrayal. But as the Eels have shown – their style of rugby league is not at all about loyalty or honour. They showed their fans and the rest of the world that they were willing to do whatever they could to get an advantage and willingly and persistently broke the laws of the game (and potentially the laws of the land too).

For the clubs’ fans to now turn around and scream at Hayne because he has decided that he doesn’t want to be part of that type of organisation, doesn’t make sense.

Imagine you are thinking of returning to one of your previous employers having left them amicably about a year or so ago. Now imagine that since you left it has become clear that that same employer has broken several regulations and potentially has committed criminal offences.

Imagine as well that the leadership within that employer, having been found guilty, then refuse to leave until the regulator comes along and forces them out. Imagine that one of the key staff members of that employer was also stripped of their role within the company while they were trying to deal with a serious mental health condition.

Imagine that that employer keeps hinting that they really want you back and that they’ll make it worth your while but can’t actually table an offer because the regulator hasn’t finished their investigation. And then when they do finally make a formal offer, imagine it is hundreds of thousands of dollars less than another company from the same sector.

A company that is willing to pay you significantly more to work at a place that is up and coming, has a strong team spirit and high quality leadership both in the board room and on the shop floor. Which one would you take?

We heap a level of expectation on our sports heroes that we don’t expect from others in our day to day lives. We assume that because they seem superhuman in physical terms that they are superhuman in all other areas too. Yes fans pay money to see these players and wear the jerseys but does that really mean we should also expect them to put our emotional needs ahead of their own well being?

The Eels fans have every right to be angry and hurt – but they should focus that anger on their club and demand better.