HAYNE HUNGRY FOR REDEMPTION
TIME TO FORGET HIS ORIGIN BLUES
JARRYD Hayne says he’s feeling the most comfortable he’s been since his return to rugby league and is champing at the bit to be a part of the Blues’ effort to claim just their second Origin title in 12 years next week.
Hayne again starred for the Titans in their win against St George Illawarra on Friday night, setting up two tries for Anthony Don a week after he scored a double and set up another in the Gold Coast’s win against Wests Tigers.
“I’m really just finding my feet back at the No.1 spot,” Hayne said.
“It was hard at the start of the year. I started the year injured and I really wasn’t 100 per cent and then I got injured again and came back for one game and got shifted to the centres.
“I’ve been at the back now for a couple of weeks now and I’m really getting that groove back.
“I really feel comfortable and I think we’re really starting to click.”
The Titans have a tough task to make the eight, needing to win six of their last eight games to repeat last year’s finals effort.
Hayne said halting momentum from back-to-back wins with a bye was tough for the Titans.
But with himself, Nathan Peats and Jarrod Wallace likely to be on Origin duty at Suncorp Stadium next week, the break comes at a good time for the Gold Coast.
With a consistent squad on the field, the Titans are starting to see the type of results they had hoped for earlier in their injury-racked year and Hayne said it was more like what they had expected of their year.
“Definitely, but I still look at the comp and think that we had six points that we gave away in the last five minutes of three games,” he said.
“Those are hard to comprehend … so those things are hard to swallow.
“Even then we weren’t at full strength in those games but we grinded away.”
Hayne will switch back into the centres for next week’s Origin decider.
His place in the Blues team to be named today is not in doubt despite Brisbane coach Wayne Bennett’s call last week for him to be replaced by Broncos centre James Roberts.
Hayne said he hadn’t heard Bennett’s call but wasn’t surprised fans and the media were quick to jump on his sub-par performance.
“We understand it as players,” he said. “It’s our job to go out there and perform and do what we do.”
But he agreed he was in the best form since his return to rugby league almost a year ago and was keen to play his part in a massive match at Suncorp next week.
“I’m my harshest critic and I think from the outset, I’ve always been my harshest critic,” Hayne said.
“Obviously (if you could) take it back, you (would).”
There’s no bigger moment in rugby league than an Origin decider, especially at a packed Suncorp Stadium.
It’s the type of opportunity Hayne returned to rugby league for and one he will do everything he can to help the Blues take next week.
“It’s going to be unbelievable,” he said.
“We made it really hard for ourselves.
“It would have been great to wrap it up in Sydney but it wasn’t to be and we get another chance up at Suncorp.”
MAGIC MOMENT
After all the drama surrounding his mid-season switch, Mitchell Moses proved he’s actually a handy player, slotting the golden point field goal for the Eels against the Bulldogs.
STAR MAN
Who else but Souths winger Alex Johnston after his five-try haul against Penrith? He was one off becoming the first man to notch six in a game since 1950.
UNDER PRESSURE
Penrith coach Anthony Griffin (pictured). His all-star roster, on the back of last year’s late roll, were tipped for glory. They now sit ninth, four points off the pace.