Speculation swirling around Jarryd Hayne’s future as NRL clubs line up

COULD Jarryd Hayne’s NFL journey be coming to an end? Reports he is ready to return to rugby league indicate so.

AS HE continues to sit unused on the San Francisco 49ers practice squad, rumours Jarryd Hayne could return to the NRL as early as next season continue to grow stronger.

The Daily Telegraph’s Phil Rothfield has reported the Sydney Roosters and Penrith Panthers will engage in a bidding war for the former Parramatta Eel’s services if he decides to return to Australia.

Rothfield went a step further during an interview on radio station 3AW in Melbourne on Wednesday, saying he expected Hayne — who was dropped to the practice squad after six games for the 49ers this season — to come home.

“I’m hearing he will be back in the NRL next year,” Rothfield said. “I’m hearing that he will come home for Christmas. He’s got no football until August, for trials with San Francisco. I can tell you that the biggest spending clubs in the NRL have their cheque books poised. They’ve spoken already to his manager, Wayne Bevis, and I’ve just got a feeling when he comes home for Christmas, that he will be staying in Sydney and playing NRL next year.”

Asked if that meant his NFL journey was over, Rothfield said: “Look, I can’t say that officially because I haven’t spoken to Jarryd about it. Look, he’s not one to chuck in the towel. I can’t see an athlete like him sitting around, not playing any sport until August next year. I think the Sydney NRL clubs will make offers, seriously, too good to refuse.”

It’s only 10 days since Hayne appeared to poke fun at reports linking him to Sydney by posting a photograph of himself on Instagram with Roosters trainer Hayden Knowles (also Hayne’s long-time trainer) and club legend Brad Fittler.

Parramatta Eel Tim Mannah also indicated his close friend was planning to stay the course in America. “I can’t see it happening in the near future,” said Mannah, when asked about a Hayne return at pre-season training last week.

“I’m not Jarryd so I can’t make his decisions for him but I think he is a very driven bloke, he has a point to prove over there and I don’t know that he is coming back any time soon.”

Rothfield’s report was picked up by US website ninersnation.com. David Fucillo wrote it wouldn’t be unprecedented for Hayne to play another sport during the NFL off-season, but noted the NRL season clashed with off-season workout programs which run from April to early June.

“The NRL season appears to run from early March to early October. I imagine the 49ers would have to give him permission to play rugby during the off-season, but Hayne would not be the first professional athlete to play a second sport in the off-season of football,” Fucillo wrote. “Of course, when guys like Deion Sanders and Bo Jackson did it, they played baseball, which is not nearly as physically taxing as rugby.”

Expect plenty more speculation around Hayne’s future in coming months.

Another rumour circulated this week by Sportal’s gossip columnist, The Lurker, had Hayne putting some people inside the 49ers locker room offside with his “schoolboy antics”.

“The Jarryd Hayne NFL dream has been derailed for now amid whispers the former Parramatta star is proving a distracting figure in the locker room,” the report said.

“According to my US spy, Hayne has been carrying on with some schoolboy antics that haven’t exactly endeared him to head 49ers coach Jim Tomsula and some players.

“Word keeps getting louder and louder that he will return to the NRL sooner rather than later.”

Take of that what you will.

As for the man himself, no one in the US appears to have interviewed Hayne in the past week. His social posts have been limited to one hyping the release of his new line of sports apparel and a tribute to All Blacks legend Jonah Lomu.

Originally published as Speculation swirling around Jarryd Hayne’s future as NRL clubs line up