#14 Jarryd Hayne
Prepare for take-off
No doubt somebody is rolling their eyes thinking "eugh Hayne, really?", yes, really. The man known as the "Hayne Plane", "Hayne Train", "Hayne Machine", "Haynesy", "Jazzer", and no doubt countless other things certainly has his fair share of critics. Like him or not however, Hayne back in 2009 was the clear cut best player in the world. As good as Barba was in 2012, his brilliance for mine still wasn't enough to eclipse what Hayne produced in 09, and I'd struggle to think of anyone who produced a season of such magnitude. Hayne's list of awards is a long one, 2006 Dally M Rookie of the Year, 2007 Brad Fittler Medal, 2007 Dally M Winger of the Year, 2008 Brad Fittler Medal, 2009 Dally M Fullback of the Year, 2009 Dally M player of the Year, 2009 RLIF Fullback of the Year, 2009 RLIF Player of the year, 2009 RLW Player of the Year, 2010 Peter Frilingos Memorial Award. Hayne truly was on top of the Rugby League world, but his amazing level of play was never going to be sustainable, and in recent years injuries have clipped Hayne's wings. While he's still played at a high level, he's been clearly hampered, a couple of yards slower than he once was, and an inconsistent squad surrounding him has been of little help. Regardless, I'm not yet ready to write Hayne off, and still see him amongst the upper echelon of players in the league.
Hayne's 2009 was basically a season long highlight reel
At just 25, Hayne has already forged a very impressive career. 140 games for the Eels with 75 tries, 4 games for Fiji, 6 for Australia, 5 for NSW City, and a whopping 16 Origins for NSW. He's a big, powerful guy for a fullback at 189cm and 100kg, it often takes you by surprise just how strong he is because he moves so lightly on his feet, but when he decides he'd rather barrel into a defender head on instead of prance his way around them, he often sends the would be tackler stumbling back, and he's quite capable of throwing out a big hit if he is in the mood. Hayne may well be the most skilled player in the competition, he's certainly in the conversation. He's got all the tricks, the steps, the flashy passes, the no look passes, the skip out passes, the chips, all of the "park footy" repertoire.
Looking where you pass is cheating
Then he's got an absolutely booming boot on him. He can really bang the ball a long way. While he plays most of his time wearing the number 1, he is capable of slipping into the five-eight role, and indeed many argue he would be best served staying there. The way Hayne plays fullback in the Eels attack seems him regularly move in at first receiver, he often floats about the backline on attack, waiting for when he decides he should inject himself, then moves in to first receiver for a play and the show begins. Then he returns behind the attacking line, waiting again for when he sees fit to insert himself into the action again. While he does this very well and is very dangerous, keeping in the 1 allows for his gamebreaking kick return abilities to be unleashed also. While he's slowed down a few paces, it's still very exciting to see Hayne bring the ball back, he's always a threat to break a tackle or four, the type of guy who can really produce something out of nothing.
Shut the gate
I've mentioned a couple of times now about Hayne not being as fast as he once was, and it's true, but he's still amongst the quickest men in the competition, If he breaks the line, you likely aren't going to catch him. He's an attacking wizard, if you made yourself on Rugby League Live, his skill set is what we'd all like to imagine we have. While a lot of fans like to take shots at Hayne, I find that he also has a bit of mongrel in him when he's pushed which I think is great. Hayne realizes that first and foremost, his job is to be an elite attacking player, not get caught up in the niggly stuff, but he's not afraid to get amongst a bit of biff if the need arises, and if you get him ticked off then don't be surprised if the Hayne Train comes in to try run you over. Most of the time however, he'll do his best talking by utilizing the vast array of skills he has at his disposal.
Step, bump off, step, turbo, gone
I for one hope that 2013 brings with it a healthy Jarryd Hayne set to return to form. The NRL is a better competition with the Hayne Plane in full flight. He is one of the true superstars of our game and he makes for fantastic viewing. From a talent perspective Hayne has all the potential to be number 1 in these rankings come next year if his body allows it. The Eels have anointed Hayne one of the co captains of the team for 2013, a testament to the developing maturity of the young superstar. Hayne's Eels proved very underwhelming in 2012, and a lot is going to fall on Hayne's shoulders if that is to change in 2013, but he certainly is one of the players in the competition with the ability to put a team on his back and lead them to the 8.
Hopefully we see a bit more of this in Origin also
Check back in tomorrow as we move on to number 13, any criticism, any comments, throw me a tweet @WellsNorthShore
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