SQUADS: Betfred Super League - 2024 Round 8
7 hours ago | LeagueUnlimited Media
Jarryd Hayne to the Gold Coast Titans on $1.2 million per season until the end of 2018 is a stunning development for the franchise.
With the Titans having come from a wooden spoon favourite as early as January, to a finals contending team in the past couple of months marks an incredible job being done by coach Neil Henry.
It was only December last year when James Roberts left the Gold Coast because a staff member forged the centre's signature.
In the space of the last two years the club was forced out of their training facility because they could not afford it, Daly Cherry-Evans back flipped on joining the Titans after putting pen to paper, the NRL had to take control of the club due to serious financial difficulties, they had players go through court on drug charges and Greg Bird urinated on a police car.
For Hayne to praise the off field stability at the Titans, which has been resurrected to the credit of Graham Annesley and Rebecca Frizelle also highlights just how bad the Parramatta Eels have become.
Commercially this will prop up the club instantly through corporate partners and most importantly it will bring the Gold Coast public back to rugby league.
Considering the AFL through the Gold Coast Suns has been taking ownership of the region in recent times, their struggling club should start giving up ground to the NRL. Beginning as early as this Sunday's match at Cbus Super Stadium.
Hayne appears to be ready for the second last home game of the season against the New Zealand Warriors. There's already plenty of excitement about how many will travel to Robina for the game. Approximately 25 000 people would reach the stadium capacity and an official attendance of around 20 000 to a sellout seems appropriate.
It would be well up on the crowd average of 12 218 this season and would mark back-to-back weeks of strong crowds after getting 14 918 on a notoriously challenging Monday night for the 18 all thriller against the Cronulla Sharks.
Off field benefits aside Hayne fills a gaping hole in the team. With time to regain NRL fitness he can have an impact on the current squad which could make the best side in team history, this season or the next.
The mid-season recruitment of Nathan Peats and Konrad Hurrell to the starting squad were masterful moves to build up this Titans team's prowess, moving the redevelopment of the roster into it's final stages.
There's no denying Hayne is the biggest signing in Titans history, contributing significantly to a positive backflip for the future of the NRL on the Gold Coast.