Jarryd Hayne facing possible suspension for ref touch after debut loss for Gold Coast Titans
JARRYD Hayne is free to play against the Tigers after escaping a charge for touching a referee in the second half of his NRL comeback match with the Titans.
UPDATE: Jarryd Hayne has escaped suspension after the Gold Coast’s superstar recruit was spotted touching a referee in his impressive NRL return.
Hayne’s first NRL game in 701 days ended with a 24-14 loss to the Warriors in front of 25,109 at Cbus Super Stadium on Sunday.
Fox Sports’ dedicated “Hayne Cam” spotted the former Parramatta fullback making contact with referee Gavin Reynolds during the second half (watch the incident in the player above).
The match review committee released its findings on Monday and Hayne was not charged due to the contact being accidental.
When Hayne left the NRL in 2014 referee touching was rarely an issue, but it is now one of the most controversial topics in the game following Dragons forward Tyson Frizell’s recent one-match suspension.
“I tried to stay as far away (from the referees) as I could,” Hayne said.
“I don’t know what I did, whether it was a touch or he walked into me. I’m not too sure.
“I really don’t understand what the go is with accidentally touching the ref. That’s the biggest mind blowing thing, how a person can miss a week for accidentally touching the ref.
“Tyson Frizell’s thing was what has really questioned everything. It’s sad for someone to miss a week for a non-aggressive thing.”
Hayne could be thrust into the No.6 jersey for Saturday’s trip to Campbelltown to face the Tigers, who on Sunday night knocked the Titans out of the top eight by beating North Queensland.
Apart from throwing an intercept, Hayne was excellent in his 53-minute cameo considering he had been out of the NRL for nearly two years with stints with the San Francisco 49ers in the NFL and Fiji’s rugby sevens team.
Coming off the bench to replace left centre Josh Hoffman, the ex-NSW Origin star produced a remarkable try-saving tackle, plucked a bomb from nowhere and set up a try for winger Anthony Don.
The 28-year-old was in the thick of the action in the dying minutes, demanding the ball at five-eighth when the game was on the line and nearly orchestrating a comeback victory.
“I wasn’t really worried about my timing or touch,” Hayne said.
“It was (getting) the minutes in the legs and you can’t get that at training.
“There were definitely times where you’re struggling and pushing through it mentally. It wasn’t anything I didn’t expect or couldn’t handle.
“The more game time I get wherever I play, the more comfortable I will feel.
“I’ve played 12 games in almost 18 months. I’ve trained a lot. I’m 28 and time is not on my side.
“To get back out there with the guys is something that will be a challenge but I’m looking forward to it.”
With regular pivot Tyrone Roberts (knee) facing another fortnight out, coach Neil Henry could do worse that thrust Hayne into a starting role.
His ball-playing was exquisite in the closing stages and nearly dug the Titans out of trouble after Warriors beast Solomone Kate gave the visitors a handy lead on the back of two intercepts.
“I thought (Hayne) was pretty good. He had some nice touches,” Henry said.
“Playing 80 (minutes) is a big ask. He’s not used to doing that. Off the bench where he can get a bit of a break seems to be the fit for him.
“He’ll look to be better for the run next week whether that’s centres or halves or fullbacks for a short stint … we’ll wait and see.
“The boys were pumped about having him in the team and he contributed well. He’s the least of our problems.
“We need to be better if we’re going to win games at the back end of the year.”
It was a crucial loss for the Titans who dropped from seventh to ninth on the ladder with games against the Tigers (away), Knights (away), Panthers (home) and Cowboys (away) to come.
With a player like Hayne on board anything is possible, especially if he rediscovers the form that has made him a two-time Dally M medallist.
“It’s pretty scary that that was his first game,” Warriors coach Andrew McFadden said.
“It was pretty impressive. He has these challenges but he seems to rise to them.”
NZ WARRIORS 24 (S Kata 2 D Fusitua S Mannering B Thompson tries T Lolohea 2 goals) bt GOLD COAST 14 (A Don K Hurrell R James tries A Taylor goal) at Cbus Super Stadium. Referee: Jared Maxwell, Gavin Reynolds. Crowd: 25,109.
Originally published as Jarryd Hayne facing possible suspension for ref touch after debut loss for Gold Coast Titans