NSW players say star fullback Jarryd Hayne has not only shaken off a corked quad to return to full training, but has wowed his teammates – who reckon he can put in an even better performance than during his man-of-the-match heroics in Origin I.
"He was flying today," seasoned back rower Luke Lewis said of the fullback on Saturday after Hayne's first full training run of the second camp.
"He was awesome today – he did a little bit yesterday, just sort of in and out, he had a little bit of a cork but I think the physios and Jarryd's got on top of that."
Watmough seeks out Hayne for special praise
He tipped an even bigger session from Hayne on the key Sunday session, and expected him to build from there.
"I think he's in for another man of the match performance hopefully!" Lewis added.
Five-eight Josh Reynolds said it wouldn't surprise him if Hayne found yet another gear in the crucial second game.
"If anything he can go more. He is one of those players that you don’t know how far they can go. He is a special player," he said.
He added the players received a boost to see Hayne running at full fitness on Saturday.
"He did a couple good things today. Things are definitely looking up for him and hopefully he's 100% for Game II."
One of those "good things" Reynolds referred to may have been a truly freakish drop goal hit from in line with the goal posts from the sideline that went wide and swung back through the sticks.
Reynolds stressed while the side wouldn't be looking for Hayne to win the match for them, it was a bonus having a player in his sort of form in the side.
"There are no expectations. We haven’t come in and said 'Haynsey you need to come in and do something like that again', it’s more the fact of knowing that he can do it, we have to make sure we're doing everything else to help him out."
Lewis said he expected the Queenslanders would have done some extra homework on the Game I match-winner.
"We're going to come up against a totally different Queensland side," he said.
"They're going to be a lot harder, a lot more prepared on the way that we play. Any game you play, even if it's a club game, Haynesy's your number one priority when you play against him.
"You need to look after him and shut him down as much as you can. I'm sure they'll be doing that but Haynesy's been doing his video as well and I'm sure he's got an attack to combat that as well. Fingers crossed he has another big one."
Both Lewis and Reynolds agreed Hayne was unlikely to let the pressure get to him.
"He is that calm, it’s not funny," Reynolds said.
"He is a calming influence on a lot of us just due to the fact he's been through so many Origins. He has been to the big stage a few times. For a lot of guys like myself and Trent [Hodkinson] and Hop [Will Hopoate] who've only played two or three games, he definitely lets us know when to just be calm."
Lewis also revealed Hayne as a bit of a joker around camp.
"He's good value to have around, real competitive and likes taking the piss out of a couple of people too," he said.
"Robbie Farah [is the main target] at the moment, he's been hammering him because he keeps beating him at FIFA on the Playstation so Haynesy's up at the moment but I think Faf's trying his best to get him back."
