Jarryd Hayne returns to Parramatta without the captaincy or the star billing he commanded when he left. If further proof was required that he is back for all the right reasons, he points to the $700,000 haircut he took to return to the blue and golds.
“Yeah definitely, you hit it on the head with that,” Hayne said. “It’s one of them things. I just wanted to be back here. I wasn’t sure there was going to be an opportunity but I was fortunate enough there was. I had to take a big pay cut.’’
Comfortable: Jarryd Hayne at Parramatta training.
Photo: AAPHe continued, laughing: “It would be good if Normy [Corey Norman] and Mitch (Mitchell Moses) helped me out. But I don’t think that’s going to happen.”
After pulling on the blue-and-gold jersey for the first time in four years, during Saturday night’s trial win against Newcastle in Maitland, Hayne said it was “multiple” factors that led to him returning to the club.
However, it is evident his great mate Tim Mannah had played a critical role in his decision. The 30-year-old also conceded he was lonely on the Gold Coast, a feeling that had only properly hit home after returning to Sydney’s golden west.
“Definitely. I probably didn’t realise until a couple of months ago, really,” Hayne said. “You’re out there and you have a reality check like ‘wow’. Being back here I realise how hard it was being away. I didn’t fathom what it would be like because I don’t really plan things much. I kind of just wing it. It’s a journey, man. I love it. It’s something I’ve always enjoyed and embraced, travelling the world.”
Indeed, Hayne has been through plenty since leaving the Eels. ‘‘The Plane’’ flew over to San Francisco to fulfil his NFL ambition and attempted, unsuccessfully, to represent the Fijian sevens side at the Olympics before his ill-fated Titans stint. Being away for so long, Hayne said, made the return all the more special.
“The biggest thing just going away [is missing] the community you’re in,” he said. “For me, being in and around Parra, just knowing the people who are around. You kind of take it for granted. Your friends from church or friends from the team. That’s probably the thing you miss the most.”
Brad Arthur put it best when he said, in his previous Eels stint, “Hayne was Parramatta’’. While he left the club as the Dally M medallist, there is no expectation on him to reproduce those feats in his second coming.
“That’s great. That kind of reliance is definitely gone,” Hayne said. “There’s no one player that we’re going to rely on through the whole year, the balance we’ve got is unbelievable. The depth in every single position, we’ve got players that can play anywhere, that’s going to be key for us throughout the season.”
Hayne and Mannah share a special bond. They were born on the same day, previously captained the team together and have stayed in touch during Hayne’s absence. Mannah’s role in getting Hayne back can’t be overstated.
“It was huge. It was huge,” Hayne said. “He was probably the hardest bloke to speak to when I left but he knew I had my reasons. Definitely coming back he’s probably the one that was best to tell that it was the plan. He’s been awesome.”
Hayne will start the season in the centres rather than his customary fullback role. He will also do it without the burden of captaincy.
“I don’t miss it,” Hayne said. “Timmy has been great. The biggest thing coming back is watching the way he talks. I remember when I got captain in ’13 and ’14, I said to Sticky [Ricky Stuart] and Brad when they wanted to give it to me that I wouldn’t do it without him next to me. As a leader, there’s no one better. As a mate and a character.
“To see him shine through, he’s been a cornerstone of this team, definitely. Coming back into the team and watching how he talks to the boys, it’s something I spoke to him about last week. When he spoke before, I kind of cringe, you’d go, ‘Oooooh’.
“But now, he understands leadership and what a captain means and how he comes across to the boys. There’s a lot more intent in the way he speaks. He’s not there telling stories any more, he’s ‘boom, boom, boom’ getting points, understanding the way the boys accept it. It’s been awesome to be under him and Beauy’s [Beau Scott] leadership. I’ve really enjoyed it and seeing him grow, too. The growth he’s had over the last three years since I’ve been gone, it’s unbelievable.”
Morning & Afternoon Newsletter
Delivered Mon–Fri.