Could Hastings be Roosters half post Cronk?

[Headless Chook]

why was he talking to adrian Lam pre game this morning. are they mates

If you're talking about Hastings, Lam has probably coached him at a junior level at some stage

["gaz"]

Lam's Wigan side also made Hastings an offer to play with them during the pre season

[ism22]

You're spot on Kingbilly. His attitude goes way back to his St George junior days. The forums were full of it before he even joined the Roosters. He had a dream start under Robbo and good contract. No-one to blame but himself for being moved on. And even Jackson admitted that before he laced up a boot at Manly. It then being DCE's faultthat it didn't work out again is an amusing theory but again completely fallacious as Hastings is on record as saying.

He also admitted - as if we needed any proof - that he was as slow as a wet week in attack. Preferred the kicking game, which he did have rare skill at. The one on Kenny Dowell's chest was a highlight. But he did plenty of that in the lower grades. I always thought maybe hooker could be his go when he got older.

Another problem with his game was he wasn't putting the shoulder in often and hard enough in defence and was bounced off too many times for Jake's liking. Second man in too much. I've never known a captain to accuse players in a post match for not putting in the effort but I saw it after one Gold Coast game up there in 2016. Some of our junior guys couldn't do the 80 minutes. It wasn't limited to Jackson alone.

He lost me when he tried the hero play in an Anzac clash in 2016 that we could havem and should have, won. Butchered a try with five men outside. Anyway I hope he's learnt from all of this. He sounds like he has. But then again - he's always come across well in the interview.

There was a lot of pressure living up to the Hastings name at Easts. But a lot of opportunity attached to. I did think he had talent at reading a game. He showed that in the juniors and for Newtown. Super League may restore his confidence. Seems to be But finding constant excuses for Jackson was not helping anyone. And it won't in the future. As he takes more responsibility on and off the field, maturity will come naturally.

It's all nuance without facts. 2016 Was a rubbish season and there was a lot of disappointment for everybody. Sure you never publicly outline conflicts... but if you hate a guy you won't proactively come out and tell the media you reckon he's a good bloke. Doesn't happen.

On here people LOOOOVED Hastings, so don't come out and say he had a bad rep as a junior. Even when he was 16, people on here were saying we should punt Anasta for Hastings while jizzing all over the prospect.

I ALWAYS came at people with a bit of a reality check and said 'HE IS A KID!!! HE IS NOT READY and I have NFI how good he will be but he is not 1st grade quality!!!' I got stick for this from the usual suspects (all now claiming they knew he was a rotten apple from the start - yeah bullshyte).

It was particularly odd how he left us and IMO to ignore this fact is to be a complete flog. IMO the timing was just wrong for him because 2016 was a uniquely rotten year for us where he was expected to replace Maloney. Our management backed him to replace Maloney, FACT. The season went to shyte, he was sacked after about 3 games and nothing improved with Watson (a purely running 5/8?) being selected as what seemed to be a bit of a provocative move as Hastings is much better than Watson. All Watson did was follow orders and play a simple running game. Hastings them entered Manly just as absolute shyte had royally hit the fan. DCE went to his room at night time after a loss, the two had a scuffle and since DCE is Manly's godsend ($1M a year for life... remember he used to play for Australia?) DCE admitted he was wrong to do this and was punished. Hastings buggered off and has done alright for himself overseas.

I reckon it was just bad timing and rotten circumstances brought out the worst in everybody. Since then we have all moved on and everybody's happy. He's NRL quality. If he wants to return some day, he will.

PS - Hastings' mum stole millions from her family's real estate business and gambled it all. This was late 2012 and inside sources (ex Steelers fan here) tell me that's the only reason he wanted outta the Gong - people gave him a lot of shyte about it, there were internal conflicts...etc and he went through a really rough patch as she went through court during the following years.

https://www.illawarramercury.com.au/...-for-gambling/

[Headless Chook]

I had heard that he was a tosser as a junior, have lots of friends in Wollongong and down that way who said it about him. On here we all hoped he was going to make it, given his surname and the legend status of his father. It's like when you sign Todd Carney. Deep down you know the guy is an imbecile but you're secretly hoping that he's not going to be and that he will keep his nose clean. It was the same with Hastings, we had all heard the stories about him as a young guy but we were hoping he would mature and grow out of it. Fact is, he has always had a reputation as a f-wit. Just because supporters on here were cheering for him does not change that or make it untrue

[novice chook]

I reckon Whacko Jacko is just one of those guys who comes across as a decent bloke in public but a real asswipe when the camera is not on him. I found it telling that not 1 NRL club showed any interest in him when Manly wanted rid of him - he had to go to England to find a team to play for.

Will be interesting to see if any NRL club takes the punt to bring him back to Aus in future. He would be a bench utility at best I reckon - waaay too slow for the halves.

[Yak]

I reckon Whacko Jacko is just one of those guys who comes across as a decent bloke in public but a real asswipe when the camera is not on him. I found it telling that not 1 NRL club showed any interest in him when Manly wanted rid of him - he had to go to England to find a team to play for.

Will be interesting to see if any NRL club takes the punt to bring him back to Aus in future. He would be a bench utility at best I reckon - waaay too slow for the halves.

He is the opposite of what you’re describing Novice Chook. I didn’t have the privilege of knowing Jackson back in his Roosters days but if he was in fact a dickhead back then well I can tell you over the past 12 months he is a changed man. He is a complete stirrer and I think that probably rubs some people the wrong way. He’s also one of the most competitive guys I’ve met so on the field is where his flaws can sometimes show.

Whether it be his own doing or not, Jackson has not been shown much love by those around him in the past. The moment you understand him and show him some support you see how genuine the bloke is. All last year I don’t think he missed being on the sideline at a Ron Massey game to support the club. And if Sydney Shield played before them he’d get there early to cheer those boys on. Home or away he’d make the effort to support the people that supported him. It’s no surprise to me that Salford fans start chanting his name and he becomes one of the most sought after halves in England.

The past is the past. I’m happy to stick up for the bloke cos I know he’s turned a corner. He has exceptional footy IQ and can have an enormous impact on his team. So in a couple of years I can certainly see him returning to play with an NRL club if his performances continue to improve. It will not be the Roosters or Manly. If Dean Pay sticks around for one more year I can see them throwing some dollars at him.

[ism22]

I had heard that he was a tosser as a junior, have lots of friends in Wollongong and down that way who said it about him. On here we all hoped he was going to make it, given his surname and the legend status of his father. It's like when you sign Todd Carney. Deep down you know the guy is an imbecile but you're secretly hoping that he's not going to be and that he will keep his nose clean. It was the same with Hastings, we had all heard the stories about him as a young guy but we were hoping he would mature and grow out of it. Fact is, he has always had a reputation as a f-wit. Just because supporters on here were cheering for him does not change that or make it untrue

If you always knew this, why didn't you say it before we signed him? Seriously... the amount of shyte people make up on here.

[Louis N]

The Hastings conundrum can go on 'interminably' as long as the 'facts' are avoided or reframed. The undeniable FACT is Hastings is in the UK. It's because he was punted by two NRL clubs - the first of which had family connections, high hopes and put plenty of time and work into him. Then, dropped him to Wyong Roos and told him he was free to look for another club. Joined Manly saying that he has learned his lesson and the same thing happens again.

But let me put this a different way. A defense counsel will usually try and paint a different scenario by attacking the credibility of the evidence and witnesses. As in my guy was innocent, everybody else was to blame, he was set up etc. Unfortunately, for them, it all falls apart when their own client insists on admitting his guilt in the dock. Then it becomes - game, set and match.

Hastings has repeatedly gone on record as admitting he was the reason that he was punted, that he made mistakes and that he would do it different given another shot. He even repeated the same in his most recent interview. That's all the evidence required. Either his attitude was at fault or he wasn't up to the grade on a regular basis. There is no further evidence required. You have it from the horse's mouth. Otherwise, it's like flogging the dead parrot argument.

Now he is set on proving that he has changed. Better to give him a chance than to make umpteen excuses and live in denial about his prior attitude and why two NRL clubs showed him the door. Case closed.

[Headless Chook]

If you always knew this, why didn't you say it before we signed him? Seriously... the amount of shyte people make up on here.

He had already signed when I heard it you numbnuts. And why would I worry about sharing it when it seems to have been common knowledge to everyone but you

[ROC181]

Hastings burned his bridges with the old guard. I doubt that any of them will want him back regardless how much he has changed.