Dyldam Parramatta Eels co-captain Jarryd Hayne has put his side’s slow start against the Sea Eagles on Friday night down to a case of “stage fright”.
Playing in front of a fired up home crowd at Pirtek Stadium, the Eels trailed 12-0 at halftime, before hitting the accelerator to score three tries in just ten minutes and take home a 22-12 win.
Hayne says the key to the free-flowing brand of Eels footy on show in the second forty minutes isn’t individual brilliance, but for the team to find balance with each player executing their role.
“I think we got a bit of stage fright the first half,” Hayne said.
“We put plenty of pressure on them but we just couldn’t execute. To step behind or step in front of a pass, the little things like that, they hurt us.”
“It’s about everyone playing their role, everyone being in the right spot at the right time,” Hayne explained.
“Soon as one person’s out it affects the whole play; that’s our biggest strength and our biggest weakness.”
“And that was the difference: the first half we didn’t execute our plays, the second half we did.”
“We came out with a better attitude, a better mind about executing.”
“We don’t have a lot of old heads so it’s a lot of responsibility for the boys, but it’s about taking that challenge.”
