Encouraging Pride
on to the field we’re doing the same, making sure that we’re switched on and if there is an error, we don’t dwell on it. Just making sure we get the little things right … and being consistently good, not consistently average. within your squad. How do you tell your local players they aren’t going to play? That’s probably a challenge within itself but the understanding of the priority is with them guys. Do you think the Pride have been doing enough in the community? How do you increase that presence? I think we’ve been pretty poor engagement-wise. I’ve been lucky enough to be at the Pride when the Take Pride program was up and running. Obviously that doesn’t exist anymore but I have spoken (about us) as a squad and as players that we need to engage within our community a lot more. The boys are getting allocated to junior football clubs, they’ll be required at least once a month to attend training and help out in whatever way they can, that’s both players and coaches. There’s … also other community stuff to make sure when we’re asked to do things, we turn up and get as many boys there as possible.
QASUPERSTAR Jarryd Hayne has 180,000 reasons to wait until January to ask the Gold Coast Titans for a release to join the Parramatta Eels.
The Fijian World Cup fiveeighth is due to be paid his monthly salary of $90,000 on November 30 and December 30 – well before he is due to return to Titans training in the new year.
Hayne would forfeit the $180,000 if he was to ask – and be granted – an immediate release.
The $180,000 in World Cup “holiday pay” would allow Hayne to soften the financial pain of having to take a pay cut at the Parramatta Eels.
The Eels would pay him around $500,000, which would effectively lift his earnings to around $700,000 for the season. A fair salary considering his form over the past 12 months.
Although, if anything, his value has slightly increased during the World Cup.
His direction of play and leadership of the Fijians has been a highlight of the tournament. The Post understands the Hayne deal is all but done at Parramatta.
At this stage all coach Brad Arthur will say is: “If Jarryd wants to come and play on our terms and if he gets released, we’ll obviously be looking at it. We’ll see what happens.”
Obviously he can’t say more as it would put in danger the first two monthly instalments of his $1 million-plus Gold Coast Titans contract.
Hayne has been careful on social media in his denials of wanting out from the Titans.
He tweeted: “I have NOT instructed my manger to SPEAK to teams in Sydney.”
Maybe not teams (plural) but certainly his old club Parramatta.
Hayne’s signing at the Eels has also been delayed until the NRL finalises the new ownership of the Gold Coast.
The NRL feels any decision on a release should be left to the new owners, who could be confirmed by the end of the week.
JACOB GRAMS