Trying to make sense of Jarryd Hayne’s move

ONE thing we have learned is Jarryd Hayne has a lot of dreams. But something doesn’t add up with this latest move.

Did Jarryd Hayne think his decision through?

ONE thing we have learned is Jarryd Hayne has a lot of dreams.

But something just doesn’t add up with this latest move.

Countless opinions have emerged since Hayne announced in the early hours of this morning that he was throwing away his NFL dream to suddenly chase an Olympic one.

And it’s an apparently poorly researched Olympic dream at that, with former ASADA boss Richard Ings claiming anti-doping laws could stop Hayne from competing in Rio.

How, after just one season in one of the most prestigious sporting competitions in the world — and after repeatedly making it clear he was there for the long haul — has Hayne tossed it all aside in pursuit of two weeks of glory that is far from assured?

Hayne is not giving up on the NFL to run in the 100m alongside Usain Bolt.

This is Rugby Sevens. If you can name one player in the Fijian side — or the Australian one, for that matter — you are doing better than most.

Is there something more at play, here? Was Hayne getting the impression his pursuit of opportunities at the 49ers was in vain?

ESPN’s Joe Fortenbaugh suggested it was possible, but threw another theory into the mix.

“There’s plenty of stories we could all kick around … maybe he got the indication from the new team he was with in terms of the new coaching staff that he wasn’t going to be a good fit,” Fortenbaugh said on on Triple M’s Marto and Ed Kavalee for Breakfast.

“But again he feels like a guy, he seems like a guy that would be an excellent fit for this system, but maybe through going through some of the workouts, being a part of it after a year … you have to remember this was a very dysfunctional, this was one of the worst seasons this sporting franchise had in decades, it’s chalked up as one of the all-time worst season’s ever.

“In terms of coaching in terms of management in terms of performance, if that’s Jarryd Hayne’s first experience with American football I don’t necessarily blame him if he didn’t have a great run at it and decide, ‘You know what that wasn’t a great situation for me, it wasn’t a great situation for a lot of players.”

Hayne may never admit that was the case. Maybe it just comes down to him being such a dream chaser, that when dangled with an Olympic carrot he could not help but jump at the chance to add it to the resume.

All things considered, it is understandable then that his decision has been met with ridicule.

Hayne even poked fun at himself, posting the meme below on his Instagram account.

Courier-Mail columnist Mike Colman asked: “What’s next, Jarryd? Wimbledon? Tour de France? How about swimming the English Channel?”

Russell Crowe chimed in with: “I thought his lifelong dream was to play in the NFL? I wonder what his next lifelong dream is going to be?”

Sports betting agencies had a field day.

Jarryd Hayne. It was all a dream... pic.twitter.com/UISgX3OApF

— TAB (@tabcomau) May 16, 2016

Give us a follow on Snapchat 👻 (williamhillaus) to get a sneak-peek at Jarryd Hayne's next sporting dreams... pic.twitter.com/47GdoSARXA

— William Hill Aus (@WillHillAus) May 16, 2016

The Western Sydney Wanderers got involved.

@JarrydHayne we do have a marquee spot available...

— WS Wanderers FC (@wswanderersfc) May 15, 2016

And the Brisbane Heat.

Who wouldn't want to see the Hayne Plane in teal! https://t.co/jNz82GcW2U

— Brisbane Heat (@HeatBBL) May 16, 2016

Then there is the matter of whether Hayne can make the Fiji side, a formidable outfit favoured to win gold in Rio. Fiji’s coach Ben Ryan said as much shortly after the announcement was made.

“It is a huge challenge for Jarryd but if he gets into the squad it is only going to be on form, because he is a blinding rugby player,” Ryan said.

“If he doesn’t make it, is just shows how good this Fijian sevens side is.”

Australia’s Sevens coach Andy Friend said he could not see Hayne making the side.

“There’s a lot of shaking heads and open jaws,” Friend said on Triple MBrisbane.

“It’s just an amazing situation. I think we all think, you watch the game of sevens you think it’s a great game and you think if you can play footy you can play that.

“Well, you can’t I can tell you now you can’t. Quade Cooper is a good footballer and there are other blokes who are good footballers who tried to make the transition across and it’s taken those guys three or four tournaments to try and work the game out.

“Especially with a nation like Fiji who are phenomenal footballers and they grow up on the game of sevens, to think a bloke like Jarryd is going to walk in and take one of those spots, blows my mind to be honest.”

Hayne quit the #NFL to play Rugby 7s at the Olympics. $1.33 he won't even make the squad! https://t.co/dmS69XZ5zo pic.twitter.com/ENvNbPjcxi

— Sportsbet.com.au (@sportsbetcomau) May 16, 2016

But let’s look at best-case scenario here, because that’s the only way to make sense of the entire situation.

Let’s imagine Hayne does make the Fijian team.

Let’s imagine Hayne stars for the Fijian team.

Let’s imagine he wins Olympic gold in Rio as the star of the Fijian team.

Does it all make sense now? Maybe it does. But it’s a big bloody maybe.

Originally published as Trying to make sense of Jarryd Hayne’s move