Heartbreak:West Tigers player of all time has finally announce his leaving due comeback of…
Jackson Hastings, a sidelined Wests Tiger, says it’s been upsetting to witness his teammates’ dejection following the record loss to the Roosters. Photograph: Getty
Jackson Hastings has opened up about his personal troubles and those of his Wests Tigers colleagues following a disastrous 2022 season.
Following their NRL ladder-breaking 72-6 loss to the Sydney Roosters in round 23, the Tigers sit at rock bottom.
Club morale also seems to be at an all-time low; Tigers player Fa’amanu ‘Nu’ Brown revealed this week the psychological toll the Roosters loss had taken on him.
“I became aware of how difficult this game is to play last weekend. Not only the physical but also the psychological side of it, Nu remarked in an open Instagram post.
I felt like there were tiny fissures in my mental and physical health for the first time in a very long time. People yelling at you—you stink! skeptical voices inside my own head. Comments call you a moron.
“I let myself and my loved ones down that night, so I cried. At times, I believe, people overlook the fact that athletes are people too.
Brown’s admission is a sobering reminder of how outside noise can impact a player’s attitude, and Hastings admits it’s been difficult to watch his faltering squad from the sidelines.
After fracturing a leg against the Broncos, Hastings—who was declared out for the remainder of the season—spoke candidly on the Fox League Podcast about his team’s troubles both on and off the field.
Hastings said on the Fox League Podcast, “I know what a lot of the boys have gone through this year mentally.”
“You remove your own mind from yourself and worry about the people who are actually playing. We’re getting defeated every week, in the media and stuff like that, and then obviously sitting at the bottom of the ladder trying to avoid the spoon.
“Yes, it hurts me, the fans, and the people watching, but it’s really difficult to watch the real impact it has when you’re on the field and how demoralising that is.”
It was especially difficult for Hastings to watch his devastated teammates at practice on Monday following the Roosters loss.
As an indication of his dedication to the team, the 26-year-old expresses his wish that he could have been on the paddock with his colleagues to share their suffering.
