Tommy: ‘I wouldn’t want to be in the trenches with him’

RUGBY league legend Tommy Raudonikis has gone on the attack, criticising Jarryd Hayne for his performance since joining the Gold Coast Titans.

Gold Coast Titans star Jarryd Hayne looks on.

RUGBY league legend Tommy Raudonikis is the latest to take a pot-shot at Gold Coast Titans star Jarryd Hayne.

Raudonikis took aim at Hayne’s form throughout the 2017 season, slamming the attitude of the Gold Coast marquee fullback.

The former New South Wales Origin coach said Hayne had not performed up to the standard of a player on a reported $1.2 million per season.

“One thing I hate in sport, is blokes not having a go,” Raudonikis told the NRL Footy Show.

“For me, he didn’t have a go this year.

“Put it this way, Jarryd Hayne went to America to have a go at the gridiron, he didn’t get a jersey, he didn’t get a contract. But here in Australia, our media made him into a hero. He failed. On his way back to Australia he wanted to have a go at playing Rugby Union to get in their World Cup sides or Sevens, he couldn’t get a run.”

Tommy is absolutely outraged... 😠

Do you agree? #9NRLFootyShow pic.twitter.com/Bp1Z0pXqVJ

— The NRL Footy Show (@NRLFootyShow) August 24, 2017

But when NRL Footy Show panellist Beau Ryan challenged Raudonikis on his claim that Hayne failed in his time in the NFL, that’s when things got interesting.

Tommy Raudonikis.

RYAN: He played six NFL games, how’s he failed? He’s played six NFL games

TOMMY: Did he get a contract?

RYAN: He had the opportunity to get the contract but chose to go to Rugby

TOMMY: So he chose to go to Rugby and play for Fiji, over America? That’s a load of rubbish. He couldn’t get into the Fijian side and then he came and he conned the NRL and the Titans to pay him $1.2 million per year — he hadn’t played rugby league for two years.

They are crazy, they must want to just lose money.

Jarryd Hayne in his time with the San Francisco 49ers.

Raudonikis also took aim at current Australian coach Mal Menginga’s plan to make Hayne captain of the Titans, in order to unlock his star potential.

“Mal Menginga said to make him a captain,” Raudonikis said.

“To be a captain, you have to have people looking up to you. And also, to those people, you must set an example. I’ll finish up with this. I would not be in a trench alongside him, thank you.”

Aquis Gold Coast Titans Training at CBus stadium, Jarryd Hayne . Picture Mike Batterham

Former teammate of Hayne, Brett Finch also gave an insight into what the fullback is currently lacking in the NRL.

When asked on Fox Sports’ Late Show with Matty Johns, Finch said he would only pay around $600,000 for Hayne’s services, given what he is currently displaying for the Titans.

“I played with blokes that are on over a million dollars,” Finch said.

“When you’re on that money, it’s so much more than what you do in the 80 minutes on the weekend. Cameron Smith is the greatest player I’ve seen and my favourite player I’ve ever played with. The things that make him so special to me have nothing to do with the things he does on game day.

“His leadership, what he does around the club, his selflessness, how hard he works, all those sorts of things. I think if you’re on so much money, there’s so much more (to do).”

“He is a quality player, I just hope the back end of his career he really finishes his career in the right manner.”

Originally published as Tommy: ‘I wouldn’t want to be in the trenches with him’