HAYNE’S CAPTAINCY TEMPORARY, BACKS JAMES
JARRYD Hayne has issued a ringing endorsement of Ryan James as the next Titans captain, saying the playing group looks to the front-rower as the club’s leader.
Hayne will share captaincy duties with Kane Elgey at the Auckland Nines with James watching from the sidelines.
He said while he was one of the more experienced players in the Titans squad, he felt James was the natural leader.
“I think we all really look to Ryan James as our leader. I know I do,” Hayne said.
“He’s someone that’s been there for a while and that’s always good.”
Coach Neil Henry is yet to formally announce his captain for the 2017 season but James is a certainty.
The only question is whether the Bilambil junior, who made his debut in 2010 after playing under-20s for the club, will share the role.
Recruit Kevin Proctor is among the candidates to join James in a co-captaincy role, with Elgey also considered a future leader despite having ruled himself out this season to concentrate on his NRL return following a knee injury.
Hayne, meanwhile, could be dubbed Captain Fun this weekend, with his instructions to his players to enjoy their Nines campaign after a gruelling pre-season.
“The Nines really celebrates the end of pre-season and the start of business, so I’m looking forward to having fun,’’ he said.
“I think a lot of the young guys get rewarded for really good pre-season and the Nines is a reward for them.’’
Hayne played six games for the Titans in his NRL return at the back end of last season and is looking forward to exploiting the room on the field in Auckland.
“I guess guys like me having a bit more open space and a bit more freedom (is an aspect I’ll enjoy) and I think it’s a real fun concept and something I really enjoy,’’ he said, admitting his stint with the Fiji Sevens side was likely to benefit him in the condensed format.
Hayne has experienced the slog of an NRL pre-season for the first time in three years after leaving to follow his NFL dream at the end of 2014.
“I think with a pre-season under my belt, that’s going to help a lot,’’ Hayne said of this season’s Titans campaign.
“But as far as having fun and enjoying myself, I never really missed that and that’s something that (the Titans) got to do (last season).
“We won a couple of games and we made the finals for the first time in a long time.”