Jarryd Hayne reveals bombshell lost NRL offer after sexual assault

Jarryd Hayne claims he was going to sign a $500,000 contract with an NRL club the same day he was charged with sexual assault.

Jarryd Hayne has claimed he was “on the verge” of signing a $500,000 contract with St George Illawarra before he was charged with sexual assault.

Hayne told the Newcastle Local Court on Thursday a media frenzy around his case resulted in the Dragons’ interest going cold.

The 33-year-old appeared at a sentencing hearing on Thursday after being found guilty of two charges of sexual assault.

After his victim detailed the devastating impact of the ordeal, Hayne revealed his lost earnings.

RELATED: Read what Hayne’s victim said

“Because the media were involved, the frenzy that it went in with the charges, I didn’t hear from them (the Dragons) after that,” he said.

It was reported in October, 2018, the Dragons were in negotiations with Hayne after his former club Parramatta did not offer him a contract extension for the 2019 season.

However, just days later it was first publicly revealed the former NFL running back was under investigation by the NSW Sex Crimes Squad.

On November 19, 2018, Hayne was charged with aggravated sexual assault.

It was revealed at the time the Dragons had been willing to offer Hayne a one-year, $500,000 contract, but negotiations were ongoing as a result of Hayne demanding a two-year deal worth $1.4 million, according to The Daily Telegraph.

It comes after the Dragons earlier this year also attempted to sign controversial star Israel Folau before The Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC) in February swatted away a formal application to sign the code-hopping player.

Jarryd Hayne recovers while playing for the Titans in 2017. AAP.

Hayne is facing a sentence hearing as he gets set to learn how long he will spend in jail. He had a dozen friends and family waiting to protect him from the rain and push away reporters as he arrived for sentencing.

He was found guilty in March by a jury of the sexual assault of the then 26-year-old woman at her Newcastle home in September 2018.

He intends to appeal the guilty verdict, saying “I’d rather go to jail knowing I spoke the truth than be a free man living a lie.”

The court previously heard it was “inevitable” he would be jailed after being found guilty of two counts of sexual assault.

He was found not guilty of the more serious charges of aggravated sexual intercourse without consent, recklessly inflicting actual bodily harm.