I'm unconvinced DeJong is better than Waine.
in my opinion, you’re absolutely right. bear in mind Hay coached de Jong at Eastern Suburbs and is familiar with what he brings, so probably feels he can utilise his ES system using an already known quantity as a focal point.
Waine, raw as he is, is undoubtedly the better striker. de Jong naturally sits deeper, which begs the question - wtf is his role out there?