Hayne will find his mojo

TITANS coach Neil Henry has pleaded for patience with Jarryd Hayne as the NRL’s most polarising man prepares to make his return.

Henry yesterday indicated he believed Hayne would stay at the Gold Coast in 2018 and he will get a look at how his $1 million man is tracking at Cronulla tonight.

Having missed five matches with an ankle injury, Hayne will slot back into a Titans jersey for the first time since Round 2.

Hayne, 29, left the NRL after the 2014 season as the reigning Dally M medallist, but in nearly two years away from the game he spent little time on the field competitively.

He had limited involvement in eight NFL games for San Francisco and played five rugby sevens matches for Fiji. He has played eight NRL games for the Titans.

There is no substitute for high-quality competition and Henry said it could be some time before Hayne finds his mojo.

“No one has patience with him,” Henry said. “Everyone expects Jarryd to come out, do something special and be the player of the match.

“He had a couple of good games for us last year but he hasn’t been able to settle into any rhythm. Even his pre-season was interrupted through injury. He’s heavily scrutinised every time he plays. He’s got high expectations.

“He can certainly do something special on the field, but if he gets through a game with a solid performance and we can get a win down there it will be great for the club.”

The Titans will also be boosted by the return of cocaptain Kevin Proctor and centre Konrad Hurrell while Ryan James was cleared to play. Tyrone Roberts has performed well at fullback in the past month and Hayne could make his return from the bench.