Battered Blues willing to do the hard yards just to take the field
IT’S one of the enduring images of the Blues’ droughtbreaking Origin series win.
A triumphant Jarryd Hayne, arms spread wide, receiving plaudits from hysterical Blues fans after NSW claimed the series in 2014.
Hayne, it seemed, was the Blues’ saviour – the man to take them to the promised land after helping stop Queensland’s eight- year domination of the Origin series. And then he left. For two years Hayne pursued other sporting dreams. But little, it seems, came close to rugby league’s biggest stage.
He’s arguably the biggest name in the game but Hayne admits his Origin return was “touch and go” as he battled to find the form to deserve a Blues recall.
“Obviously Origin’s one of the highest things you can do in the game and it’s always a IT starts as soon as the team is named.
Brett Morris fills his kit bag for the week with physio bands of different thicknesses and several ice packs and knee braces.
Boyd Cordner does the same with several straps and ice bags at his disposal.
For the battered Blues, they need all 10 days of preparation to go to war with Queensland.
But it goes beyond the gimmicks. There’s a warmup before the team warmup and workouts inside the hotel room while teammates are playing video games.
There’s a lot of work that NSW star says form had to justify inclusion after stint out of game pleasure playing,” he said.
“But I always knew that form had to get me in there.
“Speaking to Laurie ( NSW coach Laurie Daley) before the series, he said the same thing. “So we’re on the same page. “It was very touch and go whether I got in or not but I think Laurie knows me well enough to know what I do on the big stage.”
Just in case he had forgotten, Hayne gave him a reminder in game one – and a replay of that famous pose.
Despite Queensland – foolishly, Maroons coach Kevin Walters conceded – calling him out as a defensive liability ahead of the match, Hayne proved he was up to the shift into the centres.
Despite making a couple of early blunders, Hayne looked dangerous with the ball in hand and when he got his chance, he made the most of it, strolling through the ragged Queensland defence to score in front of the Blues supporters and replicate his 2014 pose.
“It was awesome,” Hayne said of the victory.
“Just ... the amount of pressure you’re under. It’s such a big thing, Origin, and playing up at Suncorp is never easy.
“Everyone is talking about that first half, we were just like zombies going back and forth, back and forth, and that’s what Origin’s all about.”
Hayne has admitted he was utterly spent by half- time after an opening 40 minutes rated one of the great Origin spectacles.
“( It was) almost old- school footy, just going toe to toe and grindingg g away,”y, the Titans fullback said of the opening stages of game one.
But Hayne knows the Blues’ opening win guarantees nothing.
The 29- year- old sees plenty of enthusiasm in the NSW team.
“I think it ’s a young squad, or more of an inexperienced squad, and with that comes a lot of enthusiasm and that’s what we’re really riding on,” he said.
But he knows better than most the way Queensland will hit back, especially after the return of Johnathan Thurston and Billy Slater.
“With Billy and Thursto coming back, two of the greats, they’re definitely going to be harder to defend,” he said.
“They have a great combination and they’re very hard to stop.
“We’ll have our hands full.” goes unnoticed that must be cell treatment meant he done in order to take the missed the 2016 Origin field. series.
“There’s a lot of rehab and The issues have prompted strengthening exercises to a lengthy routine performed make sure the muscles are at home or the team hotel. firing. It’s about keeping on “I could spend anywhere top of it and trying not to from 15 to 20 minutes on lose strength,” Morris said. the bands,” Morris said.
“The knee is a massive “It can be quite extensive joint so you have to look and quite a workout without after your legs. A lot of icing scattered throughout their rehab his rightrig leg. having to lift too heavy a and stretching. accommodation at The Star Cordner’s knee is someweight. That helps you
“I’ve got bands I bring into casino, skipper Cordner has thing he’ll be forced to deal maintain strength and stay camp, fit.”and ice packs. We’ve been able to ice his troublewith his entire career but got all sorts of ice machines some knee around the clock. he’s not alone. At 24, James Tedesco isn’t in the rooms. It’s no differHe skipped a team bondMorris required several immune from knee issues ent to every other footing session where his teamrounds of knee surgery last either. baller. They’ve all got their mates trekked up to the top year after battling cartilage He’s had a host of operniggles.” of the Sydney Harbour problems in 2015. ations in his young career.
With several ice machines Bridge at sunset in order to An arthroscope and stem- He snapped his knee cap in 2014, which led to two metal screws and a wire being inserted around the bone to hold everything in place.
He had the screws taken out in the off- season.
While he hasn’t spent the week next to the ice bucket, he’s made three trips to the masseuse for deep- tissue massage work and completes a lengthy warm- up routine before every training run.
“There’s a lot of stuff I took for granted coming through like stretching and warming up. Now I take it very seriously,” Tedesco said.