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Jarryd Hayne’s arrival on the Gold Coast is one of the biggest gambles in the NRL in recent memory, but it could just be the risk the Titans need to establish themselves as premiership contenders.
I wasn’t the only one who felt the massive sucker punch when the Gold Coast Titans announced the signing of Hayne yesterday. There were absolutely no reports or rumours of the club seeking his service, especially since his former club the Parramatta Eels had been given a verbal statement that Hayne would return there once his NFL and rugby ambitions had concluded.
And while I don’t think that Jarryd Hayne can return to the form that earned him two Dally M medals, I do believe that his signing is an important one for the Gold Coast Titans.
I’m very excited to see what could possibly eventuate.
As one of the biggest names in Australian sport, Hayne’s name in itself will bring crowds to the Gold Coast, which is something they have been severely struggling with in recent years.
After the official announcement, Hayne’s impact had already hit, with ticket sales for the Titans’ game against the Warriors increasing by 500 per cent in just a few hours. Hayne is a player that will bring crowds in, and with the Titans’ performing well this year, they will be in good stead for the next few years.
This is great to hear considering their poor luck in recent seasons, particularly the Daly Cherry-Evans debacle.
In Australia we love an underdog, especially in sports, and this year the Gold Coast Titans are the underdogs of the competition. After being completely written off at the beginning of the season, the club went on a spending spree, signing up solid, workable players – but no real superstars.
Players such as Chris McQueen, David Shillington, Konrad Hurrell, Nathan Peats and now Jarryd Hayne have hit the holiday strip, not to mention the rise of young prodigy, Ashley Taylor. It’s an amazing phenomenon in rugby league to see a team on its knees one season and then rise to the top in the next, and Hayne’s signing can only be help.
While there are many positives to Hayne’s move, there are negatives that could disrupt the superstar’s newest move. For one, coming into a team in a key position at fullback so late in the season could stifle things.
Hayne’s move to the back could bring stability considering coach Neil Henry has tried out multiple players to fill the custodian role, however his lack of match fitness and muscle memory to the game could be a huge disadvantage. It’s a massive risk playing him this weekend, and things could turn nasty fast.
Furthermore, the Hayne Plane isn’t getting any younger, and at age 28 he could be hitting some turbulence soon, as we’ve seen with Greg Inglis who is a similar type of player and only one year older.
We might not even see him get back into gear until midway through 2017, if we ever do, so the Titans will be hoping he can bring in some 2014 form into his game and not crash and burn like so many hyped up signings have in the past.
Jarryd Hayne’s newest foray into the NRL is one that will be observed with great interest and expectation. Even if it doesn’t entirely deliver the Gold Coast a premiership, it will give them a desperately needed short term boost that I hope establishes the franchise for years to come.
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