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Why Sydney Roosters halfback Jackson Hastings has always been a step ahead of the pack
Back when he was coach of the NSW Under-18 side, Todd Payten had heard a thing or two about this lad Jackson Hastings. Not all of them were glowing endorsements; maybe he cruised at training, maybe he was already starting to believe the steadily growing buzz.
Neither were true. In the first of his two years as part of the Blues U18s, Hastings trained the house down, then played the house down, orchestrating a 56-6 demolition of Queensland in an Origin prelude at Suncorp Stadium.
It was a sight to behold and Payten was an instant convert. What he saw was an instinctive playmaker and a natural leader who set the bar at extreme heights, then made sure his new teammates were along for the ride.
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"I'd been told a couple of things about him, leading into the camp, which weren't particularly complimentary. That he was hard to handle, was a cocky kid. I found him confident, I never found him cocky or rude. He had a thirst for the game at that age that others didn't. I went in with an open mind and was pretty blown away by the way he went about his training," Payten recalled.
"His intensity levels were above anyone else in the group and he really drove a lot of our training sessions. He was doing what a good halfback does, sparking blokes around the field and he had very high standards for himself and those around him, which I enjoyed."
On that evidence alone, it didn't take a great deal of imagination to picture Hastings - son of former Rooster Kevin - on the fast-track to the NRL and potentially beyond. By the final round of 2014, it had become a reality as he made his debut in the tricolours.
Skip the tape forward a few years and the 20-year-old is about to square off with Johnathan Thurston in Townsville on Thursday night in an early season acid test for the winless Roosters. For visiting halfbacks, tests don't get harder.
This time, Payten will be on the other side of the fence in his role as an assistant to North Queensland head coach Paul Green. With Mitchell Pearce out of action, Hastings has been thrown into the deep end, tasked with running a team alongside his 2013 Australian Schoolboys halves partner Jayden Nikorima.
If any young player was up to carrying that burden, said Payten, it would be Hastings, who he said always seemed one step ahead of his peers as he rose through the representative ranks.
"He always picked things up pretty quickly. We had some new players he wasn't familiar with and he executed from the moment he was in the game. His IQ, or his football sense and awareness, was lengths ahead of other guys at that age," Payten said.
"Without having another senior half has put some pressure on him but if anybody was going to step up at that age, it will be Jackson. And he and Jayden have a history as kids, so while they've had a tough few weeks, I expect the Roosters to be really strong and be there at the back end of the year."
Former Rooster Brad Fittler implored Hastings to back himself more with the ball and take on the Cowboys' line, an indication of how badly many of those associated with the club want him to fulfil the heavy expectations.
It may not be a case of instant gratification for those putting the clock on Hastings but his former Australian Schoolboys coach, Peter Denham, has little doubt it will all be worth the wait.
"On the field Jacko was one of the smartest players between the ears I have coached. Although not as physically gifted as other halves he was a play ahead of everyone else on the park at 17," said Denham.
"The areas he was working really hard on were those all young men work on; being in the spotlight at an early age, fitting into team culture, dealing with high expectations from himself and others, self-doubt hidden by outward confidence. Basically the stuff away from footy all young talented sportsmen find tough at some time of their life."
The emergence of any talented halfback in NSW tends to illicit squeals of delight given the state's long search for someone to combat the seemingly endless Maroons production line of playmakers. Hastings could well be the answer, says Payten, but only if he can be given room to grow and progress his game at a realistic pace.
'I hope everyone backs off him. He is under pressure but fans and supporters just need to be patient. You see with Luke Brooks and Mitchell Moses, they probably got to first grade a little bit early. Now you are starting to see the benefit of that experience."
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/s...#ixzz432mjMiru
Back when he was coach of the NSW Under-18 side, Todd Payten had heard a thing or two about this lad Jackson Hastings. Not all of them were glowing endorsements; maybe he cruised at training, maybe he was already starting to believe the steadily growing buzz.
Neither were true. In the first of his two years as part of the Blues U18s, Hastings trained the house down, then played the house down, orchestrating a 56-6 demolition of Queensland in an Origin prelude at Suncorp Stadium.
As good a laugh as JT?: Jackson Hastings will take on Johnathan Thurston on Thursday night. Photo: Brendan Esposito
It was a sight to behold and Payten was an instant convert. What he saw was an instinctive playmaker and a natural leader who set the bar at extreme heights, then made sure his new teammates were along for the ride.
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"I'd been told a couple of things about him, leading into the camp, which weren't particularly complimentary. That he was hard to handle, was a cocky kid. I found him confident, I never found him cocky or rude. He had a thirst for the game at that age that others didn't. I went in with an open mind and was pretty blown away by the way he went about his training," Payten recalled.
"His intensity levels were above anyone else in the group and he really drove a lot of our training sessions. He was doing what a good halfback does, sparking blokes around the field and he had very high standards for himself and those around him, which I enjoyed."
On that evidence alone, it didn't take a great deal of imagination to picture Hastings - son of former Rooster Kevin - on the fast-track to the NRL and potentially beyond. By the final round of 2014, it had become a reality as he made his debut in the tricolours.
Skip the tape forward a few years and the 20-year-old is about to square off with Johnathan Thurston in Townsville on Thursday night in an early season acid test for the winless Roosters. For visiting halfbacks, tests don't get harder.
This time, Payten will be on the other side of the fence in his role as an assistant to North Queensland head coach Paul Green. With Mitchell Pearce out of action, Hastings has been thrown into the deep end, tasked with running a team alongside his 2013 Australian Schoolboys halves partner Jayden Nikorima.
If any young player was up to carrying that burden, said Payten, it would be Hastings, who he said always seemed one step ahead of his peers as he rose through the representative ranks.
"He always picked things up pretty quickly. We had some new players he wasn't familiar with and he executed from the moment he was in the game. His IQ, or his football sense and awareness, was lengths ahead of other guys at that age," Payten said.
"Without having another senior half has put some pressure on him but if anybody was going to step up at that age, it will be Jackson. And he and Jayden have a history as kids, so while they've had a tough few weeks, I expect the Roosters to be really strong and be there at the back end of the year."
Former Rooster Brad Fittler implored Hastings to back himself more with the ball and take on the Cowboys' line, an indication of how badly many of those associated with the club want him to fulfil the heavy expectations.
It may not be a case of instant gratification for those putting the clock on Hastings but his former Australian Schoolboys coach, Peter Denham, has little doubt it will all be worth the wait.
"On the field Jacko was one of the smartest players between the ears I have coached. Although not as physically gifted as other halves he was a play ahead of everyone else on the park at 17," said Denham.
"The areas he was working really hard on were those all young men work on; being in the spotlight at an early age, fitting into team culture, dealing with high expectations from himself and others, self-doubt hidden by outward confidence. Basically the stuff away from footy all young talented sportsmen find tough at some time of their life."
The emergence of any talented halfback in NSW tends to illicit squeals of delight given the state's long search for someone to combat the seemingly endless Maroons production line of playmakers. Hastings could well be the answer, says Payten, but only if he can be given room to grow and progress his game at a realistic pace.
'I hope everyone backs off him. He is under pressure but fans and supporters just need to be patient. You see with Luke Brooks and Mitchell Moses, they probably got to first grade a little bit early. Now you are starting to see the benefit of that experience."
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/s...#ixzz432mjMiru
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