Axed Gold Coast coach Neil Henry should not have taken his gripes to the media, Titans star Jarryd Hayne says.
Hayne was speaking for the first time since club boss Graham Annesley on Monday admitted the star player's deteriorating relationship with the coach was the catalyst for the board's discussions, which ultimately ended in Henry being sacked.
Hayne denied having a feud with the coach, but seemed to imply that only meant "a verbal argument" between the two never took place.
The relationship started to stink, Hayne said, after Fox Sports' NRL 360 co-host Paul Kent said the board wanted to sign Hayne, but Henry did not.
"Knowing that Paul Kent and Neil have a relationship, I thought that if that comes out from Paul I'd rather Neil just tell me himself instead of having journalists write it," he said.
"And that was disappointing from my point of view."
Henry did not speak to the former NFL and rugby sevens player in the week that followed, according to Hayne.
He said it was the second time this year that something like that had happened and he said the Kent episode "pretty much took me over the edge".
As the 'feud' rolled on, speculation raged about who was at fault and Hayne's history as having a bit of an ego saw him cast as the villain from time to time.
But the man who once compared his persecution at the hands of the media to the plight of Jesus, said it was water off a duck's back.
"I understand the media and guys to sell papers [don't] write truth," he told reporters.
"That's something I've become accustomed to and when you understand that, you kind of don't take it too personal."
Despite the debacle, Hayne wished Henry well.
"I don't hold grudges," he said.
"He's a good guy."
