There has been a great deal of discussion around the Titans this year. There has been a steady flow of talk about their underachieving status and how their 2016 culture has been eroded.
There have been rumblings of how Jarryd Hayne has not been a team player, not showing the determination, motivation and leadership expected of a $1.2-million man.
This discussion has grown in intensity since the Broncos gave their Gold Coast neighbours a 54-0 pasting recently. After the Titans faired marginally better against the Dragons last weekend, it has culminated in a brouhaha of epic proportions.
A lot of the current talk in the media has centred on the two main players in this saga – Hayne and coach Neil Henry.
The knives are out for Hayne and the stories of his attitude, selfishness and laziness have been cast from seasoned reporters, to ex-teammate s and other footballing media identities.
As the ‘whack – a – Hayne’ quota is already allotted there is a different perspective about this whole unsavoury saga that I would like to share with you here and it concerns the Titans board.
There have been suggestions that the performance of the Titan’s board has been one of stability and of strong leadership in working with the NRL to steer the club back into private hands. And as that may be the case, there really must be a growing question mark over the process and negotiations in finalising the contract for Hayne.
Anyone who went through the due diligence of vetting Jarryd Hayne by speaking with previous colleagues and appointed references, or even just reading over previous print and online media articles would have seen that the situation they find themselves in now was a real possibility.
Jarryd Hayne can’t be blamed for being Jarryd Hayne. He is simply playing his football the way he always has and been allowed to while being paid handsomely to do so. His perceived laziness, selfishness and flippancy that media commentators and ex-players are now openly discussing must have been well known throughout the inner sanctum of the elite rugby league community.
Even the fans had suspicion that Jarryd only turned up ready to play occasionally and they knew he was fickle. He left his team behind to go chase a career in the US of A mid-contract, yet people waved him off with well wishes instead of taking him to task for looking to break a contract and letting down his team and his fans.
Neil Henry has a reputation for being a hard-nosed disciplinarian who believes in solid work ethic and attitude. It is hard to believe that if Hayne had been vetted at all the potential for conflict with the coach must have been raised.
Yet he was signed anyway. Signed to a princely sum with options in his favour to take up at elite player status with no performance clause.
People can and will continue to place Hayne as the key antagonist along with his detractor Neil Henry in this sad melodrama and they may both find themselves unemployed soon enough.
Yet the people in the back office negotiating and signing off on Hayne’s contract will slip under the radar as the fall out, if it includes payouts of the player or coach, or both, may well bring this fledgling club to its knees.
Scott
Guest
His logic was that Souths did the same thing with his father. I never saw John play however I doubt he was ever accused of not trying and the main complaint about Hayne this year has been lack of effort
Kurt S
Roar Pro
Did that work at Parramatta?
AGordon
Guest
Interesting comments from Scott Sattler who suggested the way to bring the best out of Hayne is to make him captain! He might have a point.
Nat
Roar Guru
I couldn't agree more. If his form does not markedly improve next year I would say he'll be in ESL or Rugby somewhere in 2019. His attitude will never change but his performance can significantly improve and that's why he is an investment that's worth more than Henry. I believe there will be a few more coaches on the market and the Titans/NRL will take the chance of another leader to bring the team together.
Duncan Smith
Guest
Hasler has got to go! No question.
BleakCity
Roar Rookie
The Titans are owned by the NRL and Henry didn't want Hayne. It's pretty easy to read between the lines. Unfortunately for Greenburg it's blown up in his face before they got around to selling the club. People who cut corners shouldn't be running large organisations.
AGordon
Guest
Nat, it takes two to tango. Hayne has a responsibility to respect both his coach (by doing what he's told) and his fellow players (by turning up when required and giving it 100%). There's no way he's done that from the time of his signing last year so no man manager on earth is going to make an impact on this guy. I reckon Haynes antics have shortened his earning power by either 3 or 4 years or quite a few million dollars because clubs will not risk big bucks on a repeat of this episode. Even Rugby Union would be stupid to touch him! Henry, if need be, will simply move onto another coaching job. Guess who wins out of that?
Emcie
Roar Guru
I think other clubs might be a bit more wary after the current mess though. There's always been inuendo about haynes relationships with coaches but this is the first time its really played out in the public domain. Even if he does start coming into form next year, that's only lead to one remotely successful season for his team in his 11 years in firstgrade and I'm just not sure that will be enough to attract stuggling clubs and his price tag will put off most "successful" clubs
Kurt S
Roar Pro
Emcie, and the sad thing is that if Hayne does play on for the Titans next year, he might well just find some form at the back end of the 2018 season when he needs to produce to gain a new contract. If he does show some spark, no doubt the suitors from some club will be back with cheque book in hand to repeat the whole sorry saga again.
Nat
Roar Guru
It is an absolute personality clash but it is the coach who needs to be the man manager and team coach and to know the difference. Whether you earn $1k or $1m, coaches, team mates, fans and members respect effort and that's where Hayne has let himself down. However, the NRL, by way of the Titans, made an All In play getting his brand back in the game, in a region that needs success. They cannot have him playing reserves. It is easier to move on a coach who cannot manage their greatest asset.
Emcie
Roar Guru
They have a well respected recruitment manager in David Hamilton, who they got from the raiders. The recruitment manager will work along with the coach to fit the coaches long term plans, but it all means nothing if the board is willing to overrule everyone to pursue their own priorities
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
Why are Hayne and Henry taking all the heat? I don't know about Henry but as for Hayne, it is because we are told he should.
JoM
Roar Rookie
Do you know why they don't have a recruitment manager or recruitment team? Just seems a bit odd when the rest all seem to.
Emcie
Roar Guru
Completely agree mate, and I posted a comment to the same effect on another article last night. It won't matter who coaches the Titans if the board overrule them and throw all their plans out the window on a whim. Looking back at the signing now and it doesn't seem like the Titans put a whole lot of thought into negotiations at the time. Why did they feel the need to offer $1.2 million when by all reports only a couple others had space for him and no one was going out of their way to get his signature