To be on the Gold Coast when the 'Hayne Plane' touched down on the Glitter Strip was a rugby league writer's dream come true.
In a 20-minute press conference to announce that he was now a Titan for the foreseeable future Hayne drew criticism from some circles for his regular references to his disappointment at not returning to the NRL with Parramatta.
Two days later he spoke for a further 10 minutes prior to his first training session, with his first involvement brought Bodene Thompson down in a stunning goal-line tackle, brushed a referee and told the media post-game exactly what he thought had happened.
For this writer, it was living proof that players need not be hidden from the media but shown how to control it.
"There are very few players currently in our game with the magnetism and marketability of Hayne but it is a position he has cultivated by virtue of his conduct," I wrote.
"He rarely speaks in clichés, he says exactly what he's thinking and neither the teams he plays for or his bank balance have ever suffered because of it.
"If I could urge other players to take one lesson from Hayne it is this: Own the message."
