Jarryd Hayne v Neil Henry: Titans in crisis as coach issues ultimatum

THE Titans have plunged into crisis following revelations coach Neil Henry issued the club an ultimatum to choose between him and Jarryd Hayne.

Neil Henry and Jarryd Hayne will front the Titans on Monday. File photo

THE Gold Coast Titans have plunged into crisis following explosive revelations coach Neil Henry issued the club an ultimatum to choose between him and Jarryd Hayne.

The $2.4 million Hayne experiment is on the brink of collapse after the enigmatic fullback admitted he would quit the club if Henry did not want him there.

Hayne appears certain to exit and in a dramatic twist Henry is also fighting for his future on the Gold Coast unless he can smooth tensions with influential Titans figures.

ROBERT CRADDOCK: Titans must show they stand for something

TITANS TURMOIL: D-Day as Hayne ordered to front executives

BOMBSHELL CALL: If I’m unwanted I’ll quit, says Hayne

Neil Henry and Jarryd Hayne will front the Titans on Monday. File photo

Henry and Hayne will be summoned to meetings with club powerbrokers on Monday in an attempt to bring an end to the drama.

Henry did not return calls yesterday while Titans chief executive Graham Annesley declined to comment on the saga.

A special investigation by The Courier-Mail has uncovered the extent of the Hayne-Henry feud, revealing anger, mistrust and lack of faith within the NRL club which has seen the Titans plummet into wooden spoon contention.

Multiple sources have verified a frustrated Henry claimed the Titans must choose between him and Hayne during a fiery meeting with club hierarchy recently.

Other revelations from the investigation include:

— Titans management attempted to mediate the Henry-Hayne time bomb without success, prompting the coach to issue the ultimatum.

— Henry’s reluctance to deny reports he was against signing Hayne has angered Titans powerbrokers who had publicly asserted that the coach was involved throughout the process.

— Halfback Ashley Taylor is monitoring the coaching situation. Taylor is reluctant to commit to the Titans long-term while uncertainty is swirling around the club, opening the door for a rival to poach the rising star.

— Henry’s relationship with some players has crumbled over contract negotiations. The Titans do not have a recruitment manager for their NRL squad and the coach has put some players off-side by personally informing them of their worth to the club.

— A group of players met secretly following the recent loss to the Wests Tigers to discuss Henry’s coaching.

PAUL KENT: Why Titans have to punt Jarryd Hayne

$1 MILLION FLOP: Hayne not in top 50 NRL players

DARREN LOCKYER: How Hayne is tearing Titans apart

Jarryd Hayne could be on his way out of the Gold Coast.

Hayne, 29, on Saturday declared he would walk out on his $1.2 million deal next season if asked, however the situation is more complex than that.

Hayne’s management would be unlikely to forfeit a guaranteed salary for 2018 without having another option secured, creating the possibility of another lingering Robbie Farah-Wests Tigers situation.

If another NRL club wants to sign Hayne, the Titans would need to agree to a six-figure severance package which would be included in the club’s salary cap next year.

In the space of a year Hayne’s high-profile signing has descended into one of the Titans’ worst ever decisions.

His arrival late last season following a stint in the NFL upset the playing group and saw a number of players squeezed out of the club.

Despite being paid one of the code’s richest salaries, Hayne is not in the top 50 players in the game this season and his corporate and fan appeal has waned with a lack of on-field performance. Titans crowds have stagnated and the club is without a major sponsor for next year.

Henry and Hayne’s relationship has deteriorated over time before hitting rock bottom last week following heavy defeats to the Tigers and Broncos.

The relationship between Neil Henry and Jarryd Hayne has deteriorated.

The 10-year NRL coach likes to treat his players equally and has had difficulty managing the complexities of having Hayne in the team.

Hayne has struggled to fit into Henry’s military-like methods and culture which delivered the Titans a drought-breaking finals appearance last season.

Broncos legend Darren Lockyer, who worked with former Maroons assistant Henry during his reign as Queensland skipper, urged the pair to sort out their differences.

“The fact is the Titans have outlaid the money and now they have to make it work,” he said.

“It’s a collective thing. The Titans can’t just expect Jarryd to click his fingers and pull a rabbit out of the hat.

“Jarryd’s deal is done and Neil has to work with it and work with him as an individual.

“You can either say it’s a risk that hasn’t worked out or Neil can bite the bullet and somehow try to make it work with Jarryd. I hope Neil chooses the latter because Jarryd has a contract for another 12 months.

Jarryd Hayne is not in the top 50 players in the NRL this season.

“Neil is better off trying to make things work and to get the best out of Jarryd, he needs to get the best out of everyone in the team.

“Their performance against the Tigers a fortnight ago was a real concern. It goes beyond Hayne. Several players look like they don’t want to be there and the only way to get themselves out of this mess is hard work and a commitment to each other.”

The damage between Henry and Hayne may be too much to salvage and could see them both depart the club with a year to run on their contracts unless the Titans can rescue the situation.