Jackson Hastings confesses he was immature and a bad teammate and role model before stint in UK

Jackson Hastings has credited his spell in England for turning him into the player he is today and admitted he was ‘immature’ and far from a good a teammate when he first played in the NRL.

Much was expected of Hastings when the current Wests Tigers halfback when he made his first grade debut with the Sydney Roosters back in 2014. After three seasons and 34 games with the Tricolours, Hastings moved to Manly, but his stay in the Northern Beaches proved to be far from successful.

Hastings left the club under a cloud following a well-publicised argument with Daly Cherry-Evans and featured in just 13 games in two seasons. With NRL teams unwilling to take a punt on him, Hastings moved to England, where he played three seasons with Salford and Wigan. 

Jackson Hastings has credited a spell in England for turning his career around

“I learned a hell of a lot [in England]. I had to learn about myself,’ the 26-year-old told Nine’s Sunday Footy Show.

‘I guess I had four years to look in the mirror and reflect on life. I had everything in front of me and I just let it slip by being immature and making poor mistakes.

‘I learned a lot in terms of how I wanted to play my football, but I learned a lot in terms of who I wanted to be as a man, and a human, and a teammate.’

In England, Hastings finally lived up to the potential that had got so many talking ahead of his NRL debut. In his first campaign in the Super League, he helped Salford to reach their first Grand Final since 1976 and won the Man of Steel Award – the accolade reserved for the best player in the competition.

Hastings made his NRL debut with the Sydney Roosters back in 2014 

The 26-year-old kicked the winning field goal as Tigers beat Parramatta in Round 6 

The switch to Wigan the following season came with another Grand Final appearance and another defeat to Saint Helens, who had denied Salford a year earlier.

Hastings’ performances in England convinced Tigers to hand him a two-year deal and while he has turned his career around, the halfback insists he still has some way to go to reach the target he has set himself.

‘The football came from hard work and commitment, which is something I’ve always had,’ he continued.

‘But I wanted to be a good teammate and a consistent role model for the younger kids coming through […] be a sounding board for people who needed a bit of help.

‘I’m not the finished product, I’m nowhere near what I want to be at, but I suppose I’m heading in the right direction.’

Hastings was named Man of Steel – the award given to the best player in the Super League – during his second season in England with Salford

He moved to Wigan (above) after two seasons with Salford and reached another Grand Final

After missing the first three weeks of the season through suspension, Hastings has had an immediate impact on the struggling Tigers. 

He kicked the match-winning field goal as Wests upset Parramatta in Round 6 and was again instrumental as the Tigers secured another dramatic win on Saturday, with Luke Brooks nailing the match-winning kick against South Sydney.

New South Wales coach Brad Fittler has been very impressive with Hastings’ influence on the team: ‘They are more organised, you can tell,’ he said.

‘They are in position a lot quicker, and Jackson has a lot to do with that.’