Queenslanders take hold of Jarryd Hayne following great Titans debut
FIRST they took Greg Inglis, now Queensland want to keep Jarryd Hayne forever.
FIRST they took Greg Inglis, now Queensland want to keep Jarryd Hayne forever.
As the Hayne Plane made a spectacular return to the NRL, Gold Coast unveiled their plan to make the 28-year-old an integral part of league’s future on the holiday strip.
“If we deliver on our commitments to Jarryd, I’ve got no doubt he will be just as loyal to us,” Titans CEO Graham Annesley said.
Hayne had an overwhelmingly positive return to the NRL, even despite an intercept pass and accusations of touching a referee.
While Hayne has only signed for two years with the Titans, Annesley insists his club can keep the two-time Dally M medallist for much longer.
“It absolutely killed Jarryd to leave Parramatta,’’ Annesley said. “And we accept that.
“Just as we see it as a demonstration of his character.
“We know it was eating Jarryd up that he couldn’t go back to the club he grew up with.
“But now, that’s done. And he’s focused on what he can do here.
“And if we do the right thing by Jarryd, if we deliver on our commitments to him, I believe he will stay.
“If we show the stability and the leadership he’s looking for on and off the field, I’ve got no doubt he will be just as loyal to us.”
While still being owned by the NRL, the Titans have this year secured the signings of Kangaroo Hayne, NSW Origin hopeful Nathan Peats and 2016 All Stars centre Konrad Hurrell.
Asked if the Hayne signing proved his club was ready to compete with the NRL heavyweights, Annesley said: “Without putting too fine a point on it, where Parramatta are — we’ve been there and done that.
“We’ve dragged ourselves back from what was a depressing situation when the club changed ownership 18 months ago.
“The Jarryd Hayne signing, there is no way we could have pulled it off a year ago.
“So the good news for Parramatta is that things can turn around quite quickly. And I have no doubt they’ll return to being the powerhouse they once were.”
Asked about the effect Hayne mania had had through the week, Annesley said: “It’s taken us all by surprise. We knew there was an enormous amount of interest in Jarryd. But the ticket sales, they just took off.”
Originally published as Queenslanders take hold of Jarryd Hayne following great Titans debut