Hayne: Eels have improved, not me

NSW star Jarryd Hayne says it's Parramatta that have improved this NRL season, not him.

Jarryd Hayne has gone to another level this year to the point of now being spoken about as the best player in rugby league.

How has this happened?

According to the NSW star, any difference isn't with him but with his Parramatta teammates.

This season they've stood up.

The previous two years, Hayne says those around him simply didn't give him a chance to get better.

"You need a team that can play good. Last couple of years at Parra blokes haven't shown up. They didn't want to run hard, didn't want to tackle hard," Hayne told AAP when asked how he'd improved his game.

"They've wanted to do that this year and now it makes me look good.

"I've always said my form comes off the team.

"I can't do much if I'm trying to make plays on the 20 metre line trying to score tries - it's too far out.

"But I get opportunities and blokes want to run genuine lines, that's what happens. We open games up and it makes me look good.

"But I always give credit to the boys when credit's due and that's how it works."

Blues coach Laurie Daley and legend Andrew Johns have been among those to praise Hayne as arguably the NRL's best.

However, for the man himself, being recognised as the No.1 in his field isn't even on his radar.

Hayne craves team success - and now he's finally tasted State of Origin glory, he isn't interested in how he's written up, but what Parramatta can achieve.

"No one tries to be that (No.1). I don't play footy to be paraded around to say I'm the best or to beat my chest up," he said.

"I go out there to try and win games and that's more important to me than anything else."

Despite his heroics for NSW, Hayne expects Billy Slater to retain the Kangaroos fullback spot for the end of year Four Nations and hopes he can revert to the right centre position he starred in at last year's World Cup.


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