Hayne focuses on Eels challenge - Sports News - Fanatics - the world's biggest events

Hayne focuses on Eels challenge

By Ed Jackson 05/06/2009 05:28:41 PM Comments (0)

NSW winger Jarryd Hayne says he must put his State of Origin disappointment behind him to kickstart Parramatta's disappointing NRL season.

The third-last Eels face one of the biggest challenges in the competition on Sunday when they travel to in-form Newcastle.

The Knights have won nine straight at EnergyAustralia Stadium and Hayne, still smarting over his controversial disallowed try in the eighth minute of Wednesday's Origin series opener, admits the Eels are up against it for Sunday's clash.

"It'll be one of our toughest games of the season and the way they're playing at the moment they're going to be hard to stop," Hayne said.

"It's going to be tough, they're probably the form team in the comp at the moment.

"They're playing with massive confidence and the way they're throwing the ball around at the moment, it just shows how much confidence they're playing with.

"It's a huge task but we're up for it."

While Hayne says he didn't see much of the Eels' disappointing 13-10 loss to Cronulla last Saturday due to his Origin commitments, with the Eels posting just three wins so far this year he says it's time for the club's more experienced youngsters to step up.

"We played well against Souths, especially our forwards," he said.

"I didn't watch much of the Cronulla game, I sort of got caught up down in Melbourne. But from what I hear it was pretty up and down.

"I think it's time for me and (Krisnan) Inu, the blokes who've been around for a couple of years, to really stand up and really take a leadership role and take the boys who are coming through and help them out."

Despite Parramatta's disappointing first half of the season with three wins from 11 games, Hayne refuses to rule out a finals berth for his club.

"That's what we're here for, that's why we come to training every day," Hayne said when asked if the top eight was still in reach.

"We've just got to look on the bright side. We've got Newcastle on Sunday and we've just got to go out there full guns blazing."

The Eels are likely to have the services of forwards Nathan Hindmarsh (bicep) and Tim Mannah (shoulder) for the game, with both declaring themselves fit to take on the Knights.

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