What’s the Buzz: Jarryd Hayne rejects rugby league comeback

Fallen superstar Jarryd Hayne was recently offered a contract to play rugby league for the first time since his final game for Parramatta in 2018. Read What’s the Buzz for all the details

Jarryd Hayne has been approached to make a rugby league comeback.

Jarryd Hayne has knocked back an opportunity to make a rugby league comeback.

Instead the 35-year-old is now playing basketball, spotted last week at the Auburn Basketball Centre.

Former NRL star Jarryd Hayne hit the hardwood this week at Auburn Basketball Stadium.

The fallen superstar, who hasn’t played footy since 2018 at the Parramatta Eels, was recently offered a contract to play in Group 6 — the same competition where ex-NRL players Curtis Scott and Blake Ferguson played last season.

Hayne will face a third rape trial on March 6. He was jailed last year after being found guilty of sexually assaulting a woman at her Newcastle home on NRL grand final night in 2018. The Court of Criminal Appeal, quashed his conviction and ordered a retrial.

The South West Goannas, a Camden-based club where former NRL star Tony ‘T Rex’ Williams is now captain-coach, recently reached out to Hayne about playing this season.

“Jarryd was thinking about it,” said Goannas president Mark Baird.

Jarryd Hayne was approached to play for the South West Goannas.

“He would have been a fantastic drawcard and put back into community rugby league.

“T Rex had a discussion with him about playing even just five games.

“It didn’t work out. Maybe he’s a bit out of shape. Maybe financially, it was going to be out of our league.”

Jarryd Hayne hasn’t played footy since 2018.

It’s unclear if the NSW Rugby League would have registered his contract while he awaits a third sexual assault trial.

Hayne hasn’t played NRL since 2018. He was photographed on Balmoral Beach in November last year with his wife Amellia Bonnici and their five-year-old daughter Beliviah.

Prior to that he spent 10 months behind bars before his sexual assault conviction was quashed.