Hayne Plain | Thebigtip

The Parramatta Eels on Sunday proved just how much their end of season trip is on their minds. They were flat, boring and never looked like winning. With the scores at 16-12, it was only a matter of time before the Wests Tigers got some possession again and put the Eels to sleep. They did.

The loss once again highlighted Jarryd Hayne’s utter disinterest in playing at five-eight. He clearly doesn’t want to play there and its showing in his game. His defensive misses on young Tigers upstart Blake Ayshford showcased it.

What’s good for the Eels and coach Stephen Kearney is hurting Hayne.

Kearney once again came to his sides rescue in the post match press conference.

“I’m sure they’ll be a lot better for it as individuals and as a footy club, but it doesn’t hide the hurt we are feeling at the moment” Kearney said.

“It’s heartbreaking for the group and disappointing in the sense that in the last two and a half months we have been getting no reward for putting in a fair bit of effort.”

Kearney is failing to see that playing Hayne at five-eight is hurting any chance of the Eels winning any game of football. He simply doesn’t want to be there.

Daniel Mortimer passing to Hayne in some space is a far more dangerous Parramatta side then Hayne passing to a Justin Horo or Ben Smith. Its just not making sense.

The only shining light in an otherwise horrible day for the Cabramatta junior was a beautiful cut-out ball to veteran winger Chris Hicks to get his side on the board. The rest of the day was filled with no look hospital passes, badly placed kicks and bad defensive reads.

With Hayne at first receiver, it means he has to call the play. It means he has to direct his players and it means once he has shifted the ball on he is out of the play. The play itself should be revolving around him and nobody else. He is the go-to guy.

Nathan Hindmarsh believes the problem was tackling.

“Mid way through that first half it was just one-on-one missed tackles,” Hindmarsh said.

We were getting our hands on them but they were just getting through us.”

“They’re dangerous if you let them be dangerous and that’s what we did. If we were committed to our tackles I think it would have been a different story.”

The Eels defense wasn’t that bad. They scrambled and scratched and were at times desperate. They know how dangerous Wests are. The problem came when they had the ball and the options they had in dangerous positions on the field.

On the stroke of half-time, they received a penalty and had once last play to make something happen. You would think that Casey Maguire or Luke Burt would get their hands on the ball, perhaps even a shift out to the right to link up with their most dangerous player?

Off course not. Hayne instead took the ball at first receiver and put up an average bomb which Tiger Mitch Brown swallowed easily.

The way things are going for the Eels and Hayne, there isn’t much chance of him going on the Four Nations trip. And there isn’t much chance of Parramatta getting out of sixteenth place.

Jarryd Hayne is no five-eight. He isn’t even a full-back. Put him in the centres and let him be the destructive force he once was. Use his size and strength. Just like Ayshford did to him on Sunday.