The most influential play of the year in rugby league was Jarryd Hayne’s failure to throw that pass to unmarked support in the second State of Origin match, in Sydney.
Hayne throws that pass just before halftime and NSW leads 20 or 22-6, a score reflecting the Blues’ dominance, an uninhibited NSW continue to play with confidence, and that’s a score too far for an outplayed Maroons to come back.
Hayne is a hero, as are the other Blues, Laurie Daley has the coaching job for as long as he wants it, and the coaching management structure is lauded, while
Josh Dugan and Blake Ferguson’s transgressions are accepted as part of the figurative cost.
But Hayne didn’t throw that pass.
An inhibited NSW pooed themselves with a win in sight, the Hayne Plane crashed, Laurie Daley got the chop, the coaching-management structure is now a case of too many cooks spoiling the preparation, and NSW must start again.
Daley deserved a smoother departure. He has a permanent historical place as a great player, and certainly a team player. He was perhaps too much the nice guy as Origin coach, but that’s not the worst sin.
Hayne will be remembered as one of history’s most gifted players, capable of freakish feats no other player could match.
Or should be remembered as such. Now?
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The portents were there when Hayne went to American football. To make the top in his first season without a background in the game was one of the great achievements of any Australian sportsperson.
Had he knuckled down and tried to back up in his second year, quite possible, the achievement would have been greater. Had he not made it, his achievement would not have been diminished.
Had he have returned straight to rugby league after one NFL season, Hayne would have returned the conquering hero, rightly so. Instead, he decided he would attempt to continue as the conquering hero by making the Fijian rugby sevens team for the Olympics.
This was ridiculous on two counts.
First, American football is an explosive game of short bursts, and Hayne had bulked up to play it, losing a couple of metres in pace. Sevens is the most sustained and aerobically demanding of games. The contrast could not be more extreme, and there was virtually no transitional time for Hayne.
Second and more important, the Olympic sevens is the ultimate goal for Fijians trying for a sporting lifetime to make the squad. For Hayne to swan in and expect to replace one of those players was morally wrong. In retrospect, his subsequent rugby league travails have not been unexpected.
Rugby league has moved on from the inside centre, outside centre, traditional backline days. But the centre’s most important attribute then was pace over the first five metres and it remains so.
Hayne is unusual in having been slow off the mark for such a speedster at his peak.
It was no surprise to see him troubled at centre by Queensland’s pacy Will Chambers, but then Chambers is a natural centre and Hayne and Dugan were great players and natural fullbacks playing in the centres.
It didn’t require blinding insight to know a natural, experienced centre like Parramatta’s Michael Jennings might have been a better bet for one of the positions.
A cricket game can hinge on one dismissal – batsmen don’t get second chances – but there are multiple chances to atone in football games.
The unfortunate Neville Glover is always cited as costing Parramatta the 1976 grand final for dropping the ball with the line open, but the Eels had other chances in that game.
But the Hayne decision stands alone.
There has never been an example that has matched the repercussions from one player’s split-second decision not to pass a ball, reflecting a Hayne mindset.
He has the summer to reflect on what life might be like after football, how he can invest his $1.2 million and what he owes the Titans.
It will be only a tragedy if he leaves the game to boos, instead of the gratitude of those lucky enough to see freakish Jarryd Hayne performances.
chivasdude
Guest
Yes, Hayne made a poor decision and went for the glory play. Would that have been a match-winning lead? Probably but not certain. As has been noted, others made mistakes too. I think the real point of the article goes to the Blues' attitude. I am pretty sure at that point Hayne though the Series was over. In the 2nd half, maybe some of the Blues did as well and went for the "big" play (Graham's attempt at a hit on Maguire, say). But, at then end of the day, you have to hand it to Qld. They went out and found a way to win. The Blues have not and the price is now being paid (no Laurie next year and there will need to be some players dispensed with for good - Duggan, Ferguson, Pearce, others...). For me, the play of this years' Origin series was in the 2nd half of game 2. A Blues up and under close to the Maroon try line. Slater with the presence of mind and the skill to plant his foot on the try line, catch the ball in an outstretched fashion for a 7 tackle set, rush up for a quick tap and they score shortly thereafter. Imagine had he dropped the ball? Game and Series maybe over. That is confidence and talent executed in moments of great pressure. They have it. We don't.
Long Black
Roar Rookie
IMO if the pass was thrown and a try scored, Qld still would've come back and won.
Wild Eagle
Guest
It was a dream come true for a Sharks fan yet was very close to a nightmare.
Jon Dibble
Guest
Good insight & wrap up. Well written article
mushi
Guest
As to the article... didn't Cam Smith do the same thing in game 3 except the rest of the game went a different way?
mushi
Guest
It is about acceleration not speed. What he's saying is he lost some of his 50+ yard pace to build his first 20 acceleration.
souvalis
Guest
As a Shark supporter,WE,it was the scariest moment in my life..it was like standing in the middle of the road watching a semi flying down on you...the final seconds of play,not a ridiculous 43 minutes from time..it was all in slow motion,shattered...then ecstasy...there was no pass...Storm lose the Grand Final....that's football no one writes a column about it 3 months later with a dumb ass 'that sums up Will Chambers'...
not so super
Guest
"First, American football is an explosive game of short bursts, and Hayne had bulked up to play it, losing a couple of metres in pace" this is not true, he didnt bulk up and his training their was all about speed not endurance
Wild Eagle
Guest
Talking of Will Chambers, I've watched his non pass to Cooper Cronk in last years Grand Final several times in the past and particularly in slow motion it is truly bizarre. Why is it Bizarre? Because the whole season comes down to a single moment and only one player seems reacts to it, Cooper Cronk. He sees the match winning try unfolding and races up to collect the pass from Chambers hand in the air to get his attention. Nobody else reacts including the Cronulla a defenders who needed to shadow Cronk and worst of all for the Storm it is Chambers who doesn't appear to look or think of looking up for support.
doogs
Guest
I thought this was all brought up straight after the match when he did not throw the pass. He should have thrown it. End of story. But why bring it up again?
Sam Brown
Roar Guru
Great article, Hayne is such a strange performer. At his best you would want no other player but when he is unmotivated he is almost like a black hole of motivation for the whole team.
StAdam
Guest
''I said...Hop in''
spruce moose
Guest
I don't think he's trying to pin it on Hayne...I just think he's trying to do a sliding doors/butterfly effect write up by hinging all subsequent events on key moments in the Hayne career.
StAdam
Guest
Agree that he made some errors throughout the series, however, to pin it all on Hayne is a little naive. NSW completely fell apart with 30 mins to go in G2 and then to make matters worse - came out in G3 looking like a team that didn't even want to be there. Needless to say, quite a few players who should have a red line put through their names listed to never play a SOO game again.
B.A
Guest
And if Graham doesn't give a way a dumb penalty, and if Graham doesn't miss an easy tackle and if Maloney doesn't miss a shot at Goal .... Seriously?! One pass which may, or actually may not have resulted in a try... Morris still had to catch it, still had to beat defence to the corner and still had to get it down.... Hayne not fast off the mark? His power and speed off the mark is one of the reasons he had any chance of making it in the NFL.
Nat
Roar Guru
I am no Hayne supporter but everyone has a little ownership in this current fallout. You are right, the game moved on in the 2 years he was out but the NRL and Titans, NSWRL and we the fans just expected him to be the "Plane" immediately. We welcomed him back with the highest pay offer of any player, he was dropped by the leadership group for his attitude in preseason. Offered little in season proper then picked out of position for NSW by reason of him being a game breaker. We refuse to acknowledge he is not the player he once was but we bestowed him the highest honours in the game. Whatever the incidents between Hayne and Henry - he won that too. If the Fiji team had the coconuts to say he is not up to our standards, why didn't the NRL or NSWRL give him the same opportunity to train, improve and prove himself before being told he was the 2nd coming.
Agent11
Guest
So NSW's pathetic performance in game 3 is inconsequential? It was all Hayne's fault.