49ers coaching staff move to temper Hayne expectations

THE 49ers coaching staff has poured cold water all over hopes of Jarryd Hayne making his NFL debut against Minnesota.

ENGLEWOOD, CO - AUGUST 27: Jarryd Hayne #38 of the San Francisco 49ers leaves the field following a joint training session with the San Francisco 49ers and the Denver Broncos at the Denver Broncos Training Facility on August 27, 2015 in Englewood, Colorado. Doug Pensinger/Getty Images/AFP == FOR NEWSPAPERS, INTERNET, TELCOS & TELEVISION USE ONLY ==

SAN Francisco 49ers coach Jim Tomsula says he is supremely confident in Jarryd Hayne’s ability to field punts under the huge spotlight that is Monday night football.

But that’s not what will decide the Aussie rugby league convert’s position in the 49ers’ gameday squad of 46. Tomsula indicated you’re not making his team on Tuesday (AEST) against the Minnesota Vikings unless you can contribute in other areas. In Hayne’s case that would include playing as part of the coverage unit on special teams and potentially filling time at running back.

“OK you can catch a punt, but can you do other things?” Tomsula asked at his weekly press conference.

Tomsula attempted to downplay expectations on Hayne becoming an instant star in the NFL, saying so far all he had done was earn a right “to be in the locker room”.

“I guess that’s my temperament,’’ Tomsula said. “I don’t want to be the guy downplaying Jarryd’s accomplishments or the excitement for the country. But it’s in a place.

“He’s done a good job. From where he was to where he is, it’s terrific. So I don’t want to take anything away from what Jarryd has achieved. But all he’s achieved is an opportunity to be in the locker room.

“So (the learning) has to continue. And Jarryd is the kind of guy who will do that. You feel confident he’ll continue to ascend with his approach and the way that he does things.”

Special teams co-ordinator Thomas McGaughey also refused to confirm whether Hayne would make an appearance against the Vikings.

When an AAP reporter jokingly told him Australia would declare war on San Francisco if Hayne was left out, McGaughey laughed.

“You know what, I’m aware of that,” McGaughey said.

“No, Jarryd is a heck of a player, very talented, a young player, but needs to mature a little bit as far as getting experience ... You have to understand the preseason is the preseason and right now is right now. This is real bullets ... It (the preseason) was paintball.”

The 49ers have been placed in an unusual situation where there’s so much interest in an undrafted rookie. McGaughey admitted as much.

“He’s new, he’s a rookie,” he said. “Just because he’s from 3,000 miles away or wherever he’s from, he’s still a rookie in this league. Most rookies, unless you’re a Top 10-15 pick in the draft, they don’t get that much hype. So we’ve got to kind of keep everything in perspective ...

“Everybody’s flying the ‘Hayne Plane’ right now. But if you look at who led our team in punt returns in the preseason, it wasn’t Jarryd Hayne. It was DeAndrew White.”

Jarryd Hayne’s position in the 49ers gameday squad won’t be confirmed until Tuesday.

After the press conference, 49ers beat writer Cam Inman reported Hayne took the practice field wearing No. 44 instead of his usual No. 38, “signifying his role on the scout team to impersonate Minnesota Vikings backup running back Matt Asiata”.

But Inman suggested the 49ers coaching staff might be simply trying to fool their opposition — and the media.

“Several signs surfaced Thursday to indicate that Jarryd Hayne might not play in Monday night’s season opener, so many that only one conclusion can be drawn: he actually plays,” Inman speculated.

Earlier, Tomsula said Hayne was balancing specific game preparation with development work at training.

“You’re in game preparation now, so you’ve got that aspect of it,” he said.

“But just like every first year player here ... we’ve also got to stay on the development side of things. So the techniques, the fundamentals, the developing, that has to stay on course.

“The first year we’ve got to stay on all the rookie players. That’s the line we need to balance there: ‘How much do you give them? When is it time?’.

“Obviously Jarryd has got the body position, the balance, the leverage points, it’s proven he has those. But now it’s how to use them. When to use them.”

— with AAP