Plan to get best out of Hayne

JARRYD Hayne will be given a degree of freedom by Garth Brennan as the Titans coach works to get the best out of the “enormous talent”.

The breakdown of the relationship between Hayne and Neil Henry was a large part of the reason for the former coach’s demise but Brennan’s greatest strength is developing relationships with his players.

A former NSW police officer, Brennan knows how to tread the fine line between disciplinarian and coddler and believes he can get the best out of not only Hayne but each of the players in his squad.

“Everyone prepares differently for a game and I don’t think you can just pigeonhole everyone into the same category,” Brennan said when asked about how he would handle Hayne.

“Everyone’s different and it’s about finding out how to get the best out of the individual. And the only way you do that is to get to know them away from football.

“You can’t be fake about that because the players will pick up on that, you’ve got to have a genuine caring nature.”

Brennan’s relationshipbuilding skills have already come to the fore, with the bond he has formed with Ash Taylor over the time he has acted as a mentor to the young half certain to help the Titans re-sign their rising star.

“I’m not going to say I’m a big softie but 18 years in the police service enabled me to find that happy medium between whether you need to kick someone’s butt or whether you need to give them a cuddle,” Brennan said.

“Knowing the right time comes down to knowing the

individual. And that’s not just Jarryd, it’s the other 29 players in the team as well.”

Brennan has never met Hayne, the man who has been pinned with the blame for many of the Titans’ woes.

“I’ve just been a fan like everyone else,” Brennan said.

“I just love watching him play. He’s an enormous talent, there’s no doubt about that.”

While Henry’s mistake was trying to make Hayne just another player in the team – doing the same work as the rookies and the leaders in an egalitarian system – Brennan believes there is a benefit in greater flexibility.

“You’ve got to treat players like you treat people in the community as individuals,” Brennan said.

“What I will say is that when it comes to the Gold Coast brand and affecting the Gold Coast brand … that’s bigger than anyone.

“You step out of line at the Gold Coast and you affect the brand of the Gold Coast Titans, then that is a non-negotiable. That’s when I will come down hard on you.”