Like a poor soap opera, the Parramatta Eels have been dealt an unexpected shock when they could least afford it: Jarryd Hayne has broken his promise to be an Eel for life and betrayed his junior club.
(Cue the pained, elongated blue and gold steel look at camera two.)
Hayne will be wearing blue and gold this year, except it will be the lighter, paler, Gold Coast version of blue.
The footballing cliches are already coming out thick and fast in both the ‘good for him, good for the game’ and the ‘Judas’ categories.
Irrespective of what people think of Hayne and his exploits in the last 18 months, most neutral observers must understand why rank-and-file Eels fans are agitated. They have had a dire season on many levels, and they hoped the prodigal son returning would be the band-aid, not the salt placed on the club’s haemorrhaging, largely self-inflicted wounds.
However, desperation is clouding the blue and gold faithful’s judgement. They dodged a $1.2 million bullet.
The core of a very good team is in place at Parramatta. They have a coach in Brad Arthur who has earned the respect of the team, and the players are reciprocating on the field.
The Eels team who went down bravely to the Wests Tigers last Saturday were missing nine of their ten highest-paid players – a skeleton squad – yet showed the same spirit and 110 per cent effort that has largely defined the Arthur era, especially in the last two seasons.
If not for the unfathomable ineptitude of the current and previous boards, Parramatta would still be in the eight. The club, despite three wooden spoons, boardroom warfare and player controversies over the last six years, still have the third-highest membership figures in the NRL, at over 23,000.
A near-flatlining giant, but a large, well-supported sporting entity nevertheless.
Best of all, the club is safe (for now) under an administrator, there seems every hope that a professional staff will be hired to support Arthur, and a new board will eventually be appointed to stabilise the club and see it realise some of its much-promised potential.
Which brings us to Jarryd Hayne, the most naturally talented athlete I have seen play either of the rugby codes, who would have been a welcome addition for Parramatta and instantly improved the club.
However, he is a product of his millennial generation. In this dark time for Parramatta, he is not the type of player to lead the rebuild.
The money saved with the release of Kieran Foran and the loss of Hayne can now be wisely invested in strategically strengthening the squad. With the administration soon to be entering the 21st century, there is every hope the Eels can recruit a few players with the characteristics needed to build on the positive culture Arthur has generated out west, and continue to put the dark past behind them.
In many ways, Hayne is a reminder of the aimless decade the Eels experienced from 2006-2016, following the end of the Brian Smith era.
Hayne, along with Feleti Mateo and Krisnan Inu, epitomised the unlimited talent yet mediocre effort of the teams in this period. Hayne finally put in a consistent, mature season in 2014, before walking out on the club at short notice, with a promise to never, ever play for another NRL club.
Now is not the time for Eels fans to scapegoat a poster boy for the millennial generation of NRL footballer. It is time Parramatta finally looked forward to the future, free of the psychological and boardroom baggage that has cursed the club for a decade.
nick rostron
Guest
Not to be too picky but in the past six years Parra earned two wooden spoons not three...just saying.
yung
Guest
every word. spot on
Collo from Blacktown
Guest
Mate, I was gutted when he signed up with GC, but you are right and I'm happy someone finally mentioned Mateo and Inu. I felt the same (maybe a touch less grief) when these 2 went to NZ. Neither of them really kicked massive goals. Yes they both played a lot of first grade, and played in grand finals, but I don't think they reached their potentials. I'm not saying Hayne is the same as those 2. I believe Jarryd has more natural ability, and the discipline needed to do what he did, I doubt the other 2 or many others could of, but I think Parra may have dodged a bullet. He called us clowns because he'd been bagged by some Parra fans who thought he wouldn't come back to us. I know the offer was some $500K less from Parra than from GC (so it's been mentioned). People often say, would you leave your employer to go to another potential employer paying 50% more?? I think I would. But I don't love my employer, nor do I get paid to do something I love. I don't blame him, but I don't like that he said Parra made no offer, then said he had to call them. Bottom line the NRL owned entity had more money to spend than us. Like Israel Folau, Kieran Foran and every other player that's gone to 'the highest bidder' (OK, so Saints offered him more, or so he's intimated), that is their prerogative. Good luck to him, but I know Parra will be ok. Taking my Parra hat off, I don't know if Jarryd has done himself any favours (that aren't financial) by going to the GC, but the Beaver would have made sure that he gave the GC offer 'plenty' of consideration..
Sharkattack
Guest
If you are in a Gold Coast bar and the Titans are on telly playing, hardly anybody will be watching. I have noticed.
Chris Love
Roar Guru
At the peak of his powers Hayne has all the gifts and ability of the best players that have ever played the game. An equal playmaker to JT and Johns and a ball runner as deadly as GI, Tedesco, Slater and co. The problem at club level for so long was the ineptitude of coaches one after the other that left him basically the sole person on the team to fill all those roles. That resulted in a team that looked to him for everything and he didn't handle that weight of responsibility well. He'd go missing in games far too often just like G.I. has over the past two years. I blame neither of them for that. When you look at JT and the Melbourne trio it's completely different. The trio had each other to lean on and a fantastic coach that managed to take forwards unwanted by other teams and get them to do a job that enables them to perform at a high level. JT has been playing behind the Australian props and a pretty dominant pack for a long time now. That's not to take away the greatness of these players but to merely highlight how much a one player club Parramatta was when he was there. Expectations were very high but RL is a 13 on 13 game and when all 13 aren't firing on all cylinders or a large bunch aren't up to scratch then it makes it very hard for a player of Haynes talent to do things like win premierships. Take 2009 for an example. Parramatta were looking at the spoon that year with no hope making the finals when something lit a fire under Hayne. They had no right to make the finals but week after week Hayne lit it up to drag them there. We can only imagine how Parra would have looked with Hayne in the no1 with an on fire Norman at 6 and a serviceable 9 and 7.
Let The One King Rule
Guest
I moved to the GC from Canada two years ago, and definitely agree. The Titans are desperately in need of something, anything, to capture the imagination of the Gold Coast public and galvanise support. As it stands, based on the merchandise I see people wearing around, I'd estimate they are at -bes- the fifth or sixth best supported team on the Gold Coast, after Brisbane, North Queensland, South Sydney, Canterbury, and Parramatta, and about level with Manly. Their improved performance over the last few weeks here has barely raised a whisper - it was 6 months after I moved here that I first heard them come up in conversation. How Hayne plays barely even matters. People here know who he is, and that's a lot more than can be said for the rest of the establishment.
Jacko
Guest
It really doesnt matter what the GC win with Hayne. If he puts 10000 bums on seats on sunday that is $300k paid off already and he hasnt played yet and hasnt sold any merchandise yet. Sometimes a signing isnt about the returns on the field but a combination of on-field & off-field benefits. " the most naturally talented athlete I have seen play either of the rugby codes". As for this statement well you really should watch more games then as there are plenty of players in both codes as naturally talented as Hayne right now let alone "ever"
William Henry
Roar Rookie
I'd argue that if you are going to spend $1-1.2m on a player, they should be a playmaker in some capacity and have a positive leadership role on and off the field. Hayne ticks some, but not all of those boxes. Foran has the potential to assume that type of marquee role at Parra, but we all know what happened there. The Eels will hopefully gain a football operations and cap manager who can apply a bit of strategy to the Eels recruiting, as they have an opportunity to build on what they have at the moment. Rolling the dice on a guy who may move to Union on a whim (even if he is the prodigal son) is a big risk
planko
Guest
It is a game of moneyball now you cannot go past it. The fact is that no player is worth 1.2 million. I could get lambasted by all but the fact is that even Thurston or Cronk moved at this point late in their careers to a team willing to pay overs would struggle in their new surroundings. Look at the players getting paid that kind of money. Thurston probably close or around 1.2 but for NQLD if moved to say Gold Coast all of sudden he needs to rebuild the little things like his man crush on Cooper. He would need to work on the signals, the gestures these are built up over many seasons they are the difference. They are the extra 2per cent. Cronk and Smith have a similar thing going on and to bust this loving working relationship would at the very reduce their combined output. DCE is on about this kind cash but he is a long term play. This is going to sound strange but if he is ONLY on 10 million over 8 years by about 2018 he is going to look cheap. Cynical me says this (HAYNE) is a short term play by the NRL to get their crowd and financials up so they can sell them.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Wally Lewis and Gene Miles never won an NSWRL/ARL/NRL Premiership for starters, though they did win BRL ones. Andrew Ettingshausen never won one. Ditto Wayne Pearce. Ditto Tommy Raudonikis. Ditto Steve Roach. Ditto Steve Rogers. A number of absolute greats (I'd consider 20+ Origins and Test Matches to get you to that level depending on competition for those spots) did not win Grand Finals. Hayne played in 2 and basically carried Parramatta to the 2009 GF.
eagleJack
Roar Guru
When were the Eels heralded as premiership winners?? A certainty to go all the way??? Certainly not in Hayne's time. And that has nothing to do with him. Compare the Eels sides that he was playing in compared to Thurston, Cronk, Smith et al. It's a lot easier to play well consistently when you are surrounded by rep players. If Hayne was playing with Cronk and Smith directing the plays week to week you'd see why he is considered one of the greats of the game. Agree with the article though. Hayne would have been an expensive, band-aid solution for the Eels. Not that he isn't a great player but he isn't what they needed moving forward. They now have an opportunity to spend their money wisely and build a formidable unit from the ground up.
Brendon
Guest
100% agree with this article. For all his talent and brilliance in origin, how many seasons did Hayne really light it up for the eels? At club level, he really couldn't give a dam, and that was the story of the eels for so long. I think back and every year they were heralded as the next premiership winners, the next big thing, a certainty to go all the way, but outside of 2009, failed miserably to achieve anything. That includes during their cheating years. So why cant a player as amazing talented as Hayne (not in my eyes personally) have resulted in wins? At this rate, he will always be the amazing talent that never won a preimiership. Looking at the best of the best for the past 15 or so years, name one "All-time great" who didn't win a premiership? Personally, I've never rated Hayne as that fantastic. I can see that he has amazing skills and talent, but as an all-round footballer, I've never been sure myself. He is the kind of guy who can suddenly bring a team into a game (akin to Sam Burgess), but not the kind of guy who maintains them there (akin to Smith, Thurston, Johns, Slater, Cronk, Inglis, Stewart in the day, SBW, etc.)