Jarryd Hayne Signs With Gold Coast Titans
Jarryd Hayne's return to the NRL is complete, he's been snapped up by Gold Coast Titans on a 2-year-deal worth ... well worth what you'd expect Hayne to be worth #Millies. Not only does this signal the return of Hayne after he went and tried his hand at NFL footy and then Sevens footy, it is also a crucial signing for the Titans that could fire them into the NRL's upper echelon.
However, it's in Parramatta where I begin. As you'd expect from the Australian media, most of the attention has centred on Hayne back-tracking on what he said when he left the Eels to embark on his NFL. Hayne said that he had a lifetime deal with Parramatta, basically meaning that if/when he returned to the NRL that he'd re-join the Eels and pick up where he left off. Parramatta fans have a right to feel a wee bit emo about Hayne's decision to join Gold Coast and not 'stick to his word'.
Parramatta fans must also note though that their club isn't an ideal destination for Hayne to return to. While Hayne went on his NFL journey, the Eels embarked on their own journey except that this journey saw them float up shit's creek and while the worst appears to be behind them with their board being dismantled and Kieran Foran stepping away from the NRL, you can't really blame Hayne for not wanting to head back to Parramatta. Eels fans should be upset with the silly buggers who put their club in this position, not Hayne.
We must also consider that it would be pretty silly to return to the NRL with a club that is effectively collecting dust in the NRL this season after they were docked points. Good vibes would have flowed if Hayne showed immense faith in his old club for sure, but with the chaos of Parramatta in mind, would you rather play for a club that has no hope of NRL Finals or a club that has punched above its weight and could make a deep Finals run?
I'd make the exact same decision as Hayne and with Hayne as their fullback, Gold Coast are a team that deserve your attention. I loved how Gold Coast started their season as Neil Henry had a very solid team singing from the same song-sheet, led by a forward pack that is best described by simply saying 'Greg Bird'. They are gritty, powerful, rugged and skillful which made them a tough team to face, then they snapped up Nathan Peats and Konrad Hurrell which took them to a new level.
Peats is a classy operator at dummy half, while Hurrell has given the Titans a hefty dose of power. Hurrell doesn't just add some strike-power to their edge, he rolls his sleeves up and steams on to the footy in the middle of the field, making over 150m rather easily in a couple of games straight now.
All that the Titans lacked was a game-breaker in their backline, whether that was from an outside back with legit amounts of x-factor or a half who oozed class. Guess what the Titans did? They signed Jarryd Hayne and with Hayne at fullback, the Titans suddenly look like a Premiership contender (we'll wait and see how slick Hayne is) as Hayne is exactly what the Titans needed. If Hayne is allowed to play NRL footy this season, the Titans could be a creeper to keep an eye on come Finals time.
In a broader context, this move fires Gold Coast back into NRL relevance. They had already started to make moves back towards NRL relevance after a low patch and that I suggested that they are punching above their weight this season was because they are already ahead of where many people thought they would be at this stage of the season. Coach Henry has done a fantastic job to bring this team together and add pieces to his roster, flipping them from wooden spoon contenders to a solid mid-table NRL team.
Signing Hayne speeds up that rebuilding process dramatically and as Henry has already shown great ability to turn fringe NRL players (Agnatius Paasi) into legit NRL troopers, the Titans can absorb the signing of Hayne by replacing guys they'll have to let go with cheaper options. This signing will also likely see David Mead let go, he was already rumoured to be out the door and as Hayne is simply better than him, expect Mead to end up somewhere in New South Wales next season.
Through the opening stanza of the NRL season, I really enjoyed watching the Titans as they were a clear example of what can happen when you have a smart coach and willing players. Then they signed Konrad Hurrell and my love for them went through the roof as the Titans have got the best out of Hurrell when the Warriors failed miserably and the Titans up to this point have played an extremely tough but skillful brand of footy. They have now signed Hayne and regardless of whether Hayne plays this season or not, everyone involved in the Titans should take a bow.