Interesting.

www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-pre ... 7091016581 Just goes to show, there's always a bigger fish waiting to poach the best...

www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-pre ... 7091016581 Just goes to show, there's always a bigger fish waiting to poach the best...

It says it all that he's aiming to be a punt returner. It's nothing like playing full-back in league. He'll touch the ball about 5 times in a game, there is a lot less of open space and he won't be used to wearing a helmet. The best punt returners are also some of the best WR/RB/CBs so the majority of franchises will already have a player that is a far superior and more experienced athlete than Hayne. Even a 5th round draft pick is probably a better option than Hayne tbh.

He'll be back in the NRL in 2016.

I would tend to agree - he will really struggle and I am not sure the team will give him the time he needs to properly get to grips with the game.

They'll be more experienced American Footballers than Hayne but I can't agree that they'd be more experienced athletes.

The NFL won't have just picked someone at random, there will have been a lot of information considered about Hayne and experts in tallent ID, which the NFL is the best in the world at, will have shared their view with Head Coaches before an approach was made. I'd have to bow to their greater knowledge of what or who has what it takes to become a success in the NFL.

The danger here is if Hayne is seen as anything like successful the NFL will come looking again, even if Hayne is considered marginally successful but it's thought he switched too late then they'll come looking for our younger athletes and we'll find ourselves competing with Football, Union and the NFL for our tallent.

Don't forget Rules - probably takes more potential top line RL players out of the game than any other sport.

He's not actually signed for anybody yet so until I seee him on the field I won't believe it.

Jarred Hayne must have signed a contract already otherwise he would not have announced his departure.

The only good aspects of this are that (1) rugby league is getting great prestige and media publicity as a nursery for the most advanced football code in the world, and (2) Hayne is likely to be bored silly by his limited playing time, and will return to rugby league in a year or two chastened and appreciative of the more demanding physical challenge of rugby league.

Linked with the Seahawks

Good luck to him.

Bit of a worry this NFL player drain, isn't it First Terry Price, now Hayne. In 3 [size1[/size/[size2[/size million years there'll be no players left.

Nice 1 year break in the States for the lad.

will come back all fresh for 2016.

Best of luck to him. I play the sport myself, admittedly at a much lower standard, and I know the amount of commitment and training it takes just to get used to the sport. It's a different type of contact to rugby and the helmet does reduce vision quite a bit. A guy who went to my university, and who I've played at in Old Boys games went to the NFL a few years ago as part of an NFL Europe scheme, is playing for Leigh Easts IIRC now. So he sort of went the opposite way. There's no reason Hayne can't make a decent go of it, and at the least get a training camp invite and a chance to show people what he can do.

Don't mind losing players to NFL better than going to union, real soccer style salaries and despite what union think, it's a proper challenge and huge game. As a domestic football code it dwarves every other in the world. Only the champions league comes close. Hope he goes well. Negative is they may come looking for more players, positive is they may come looking to invest with wads of cash.

Top player & respect for taking the chance.....but he won't ever start an NFL pro game.

He's just not fast enough to be a punt returner, by comparison he IS slow. yes he might be elusive but given how the strategy of recent years is to stop/reduce the PR chances of even getting a stride in over gaining maxium distance on a kick I just don't think he'll remotely have a chance there.
Teams are realising giving up 10yds distance to not being exposed to a lengthy return or even TD return is of greater value. This is even more pronounced on kick-offs, more and more kicks are 'negative play' (through the back or deep in the end zone) to stop the special teams guy such as a Hestor, Dante Hall, Mitchell (or if you're old skool Rick Upchurch..go Denver!) et al stepping and steaming past you.

Nor is he explosive enough (for RB) or big enough to play FB, he has the right stature for a TE (add a few more kg) and probably has the hands for it but he's little to no chance there either because learning your trade as a TE starts way back. He hasn't, and more importantly a team won't give him that sort of time for him to learn the position even if he had unbelievably outstanding talent..which in gridiron he hasn't (proven..yet).
Wide receiver, nope..

Defensively if he bulked up maybe an outside linebacker but that's fanciful tbh, safety & corner, too technical and he's too slow to be a corner anyways. there are 50 kids with experience AND talent AND the physical dynamics required waiting in the wings for pretty much every position.

That said I hope he proves me wrong and good luck to him, I have full respect for following a dream, I just hope he doesn't get too caught up in chasing it nor fail to swallow some pride and come back to RL if he fails.