Former NRL star Jarryd Hayne’s bail conditions relaxed in Sydney court

Hayne was mentioned in court on Friday — two months after being released from jail when he had his sexual assault convictions quashed.

Former NRL superstar Jarryd Hayne’s strict bail conditions have been relaxed in a Sydney court as he awaits his third sexual assault trial.

The 34-year-old was mentioned in Downing Centre District Court on Friday — two months after he was released from Cooma Jail when he had his convictions over sexually assaulting a woman on grand final night in 2018 quashed on appeal.

Hayne was initially required to report to Merrylands police station three times a week as part of his bail, but Judge Dina Yehia SC altered his conditions, so he now only has to report to officers once a week.

“I vary the bail so that he is to report each Friday only to Merrylands police station between 5am and 10pm,” Judge Yehia said.

Defence lawyer Daniel Wakim, acting on behalf of Hayne, had told Judge Yehia that prosecutors did not oppose the change.

Jarryd Hayne reports to Merrylands police station as part of his bail condition. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Dylan Coker

The former Parramatta Eels player had been behind bars since May 2021 after he was found guilty of sexually assaulting the woman at her Newcastle home.

But last February the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal found the NSW District Court judge who had presided over his trial had given flawed directions to the jury and ordered that he face a retrial.

Hayne has already faced two trials over the allegations – his first in late 2020 ended in a hung jury while the second jury found him guilty of two counts of sexual assault in March 2021.

During the appeal Hayne’s legal team pushed for him to be acquitted of all his charges, but the appeal judges ultimately only ordered that he have his convictions quashed and that he face a retrial.

His third trial will begin in Sydney on March 6 next year.

Hayne was once considered rugby league’s top player, winning the Dally M Medal twice in 2009 and 2014.

He made headlines in 2014 when he revealed he would pursue a code switch and try to play in the NFL, eventually playing eight games with the San Francisco 49ers.