Jackson Hastings is looking forward to becoming the new “punching bag” at the Wests Tigers as he exits the intense atmosphere of the coach’s box and returns to the high-pressure job of partnering Luke Brooks in the halves.
Hastings will wear the No.7 for the first time in 2129 days when the Tigers try to avoid a sixth straight loss to start the year against Parramatta.
The halves switch will allow Brooks to embrace his natural running game while Hastings will be expected to “put some good shape and sets on”.
It has been a frustrating start to the campaign for the Tigers, and Hastings found out first hand what coach Michael Maguire was forced to endure.
Hastings joined Maguire in the box on game days while he served a three-match suspension, and even paid for his flight to the Gold Coast to support the coach and players.
“It’s a hard place to be,” Hastings said on Friday.
“I expected a lot more yelling and screaming. I always thought about coaching once I’m done, but it turned me off a bit.
“It gives you an appreciation of how frustrated coaches get and why they get so angry. There are so many opportunities every team leaves out on the field.”
Like Brooks, Hastings has received his share of criticism, especially at the start of the 2018 season when he was forced out of Manly after a fallout with then-coach Trent Barrett and senior Sea Eagles.
The 26-year-old said he felt an immediate connection with Brooks, who his entire career had become “the poster boy for bash us in the media”.
Hastings said relieving Brooks of the No. 7 jersey – and the unspoken responsibility that comes with it – had already made a difference to him at training.
“‘Madge’ said he wanted Brooksy to run the ball, and if that meant changing the number so he can play freely, feel that weight off his shoulders and be able to be himself, I was more than happy to do so,” Hastings said.
“I’m happy to be a punching bag if I need to be one for him and take some heat off him.
“Brooksy came up to me with a big smile on his face. I’m not sure if that meant he was happy or angry about it. But you can see the spring in his step, and the weight has fallen off his shoulders a bit.
“He’ll still kick the ball and take the line on more … I’ll probably be the louder voice on the field.”
Hastings said when he last played halfback for the Roosters, which was in round 15, 2016, he went away from his natural game and became “like a robot” and “stagnant”.
Because halfback is where he is most comfortable, it will make for an interesting selection battle once Adam Doueihi returns from a knee injury in round 14.
“He’s getting paid a lot more than the rest of us; he gets into his Tesla, still lives at home and doesn’t pay any rent or bills,” Hastings said about Doueihi.
“Adam is a fantastic player, a proven winner at five-eighth, and I’m sure he’ll have a say about where he wants to play.
“If we’re not going well by the time he gets back, there will be an obvious change, or if we’re flying he might have to play lock, given the way he is looking. We joke he’s about six-foot-seven but doesn’t want to play in the middle and only defend on the wing.”
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From Brisbane Times;
Wests Tigers hero Jackson Hastings has revealed how he was almost moved to tears by the reaction of his coach to his match-winning field goal against Parramatta, having spotted Michael Maguire bouncing around the coaches box on the big screen.
Hastings delivered blessed relief to Maguire and suffering Tigers fans on Monday by kicking a last-second field goal to beat the Eels at CommBank Stadium. It snapped a five-game losing streak for the Tigers and eased some of the mounting pressure on Maguire.
Hastings said on Tuesday morning he was moved by the joy he witnessed in Maguire after the winning kick, and paid tribute to the Tigers coach for his role in bringing him back to the NRL and, after a few false starts, allowing the more ‘mellowed' playmaker to discover his true potential.
"He is someone I have a lot of admiration for, and as I actually kicked the field goal I saw him on the big screen celebrating and it almost brought a tear to my eye, how happy he was," Hastings told Triple M.
"I am stoked for him and the playing group and the rest of the club and the fans as well. It was a great day and we enjoyed it last night but we also know that's one out of five and we have to keep building and getting better."
Hastings reflected on his resurrected NRL career, which appeared dead when the former Rooster was axed by Manly in 2018 after a falling out with Daly Cherry-Evans.
Hastings went to England and become a dominant force in Super League for Salford and Wigan. He won the Man of Steel in 2019.
He was brought home by Tim Sheens and Maguire and made his Tigers debut in round one.
Hastings said the experience had changed him as a person.
"I have crammed a lot into 26 ... years, I have lived about three different lives. It has been an emotional rollercoaster, with ups and downs," he said.
"Over the last four years I have just completely mellowed out a bit. I still have a burning desire to be a great footy player and I still play with emotion and my heart on my sleeve but at training and when I am around my teammates I am just a lot calmer in myself and a way better person to be around, I can sense it within myself.
"I can feel people gravitating towards me, whereas in the past it was the complete opposite way. It took me to step back out of it and watch from afar, and be forgotten about almost, to come back and be embraced and enjoy my footy again and loving battling for the boys around me and for the fans, and obviously, my coach.
"I have an unbelievable connection to Madge and [he is] someone who empowers me to be myself and encourages me to be Jackson Hastings and not anything else. I have mellowed out and appreciate little things in life and am grateful for where I am at. The old me took [it] in my stride and thought it was just normal to be where we are but we are pretty lucky to be doing what we're doing.
"There is no doubt in my mind that Madge is a huge driving factor behind me becoming a way better version of myself and a way better player.
"He just instils a calm but fierce belief in his players and he has definitely done a lot for me and introduced me to people in the mental aspect of the sporting world, who have been able to help me set goals and tick things off mentally as well, to become a better player."
Hastings said he was keen to help promising Tigers youngsters fulfil their potential and would do it by not overloading them with empty praise.
"What I try and do with the young kids at our club is tough love," he said.
"You don't want to give a kid too much praise because I understand how that can affect you mentally. When you keep hearing how good you're going you think you've made it before you have done anything.
"And that's what happened to me, everyone wanted to pat you on the back ... I had no kick up the bum until it was too late unfortunately."
