Jarryd Hayne is one of the most controversial figures in rugby league.
The fullback is a two-time Dally M Medalist and was sensational when at his best especially when guiding the Parramatta Eels to the 2009 Grand Final.
He also starred in the NFL for San Francisco 49ers as well as notching 214 NRL appearances during a brilliant career brought crumbling down by off field controversies.
Hayne spent close to ten months in jail on sexual assault charges, Hayne was released early last year from the correction centre after his conviction was thrown out, however, the former fullback will face a third trial on March 6th.
Since then he has been trying his hand at Basketball but was offered a chance to come back to rugby league.
It wasn’t an NRL or Super League return on the cards but in fact a Group 6 offer that came his way, one of the lower leagues in Australia.
South West Goannas made the offer and it came from former Australian international and Manly Sea Eagles star Tony T-Rex Williams who acts as captain coach at the club.
They play in the same competition where former Leigh Leopards star Blake Ferguson will now ply his trade after leaving for compassionate reasons.
However, Hayne turned down the offer according to Zero Tackle.
Goannas’ president Mark Baird believes the former Eel was close to accepting the deal.
“Jarryd was thinking about it,” Baird said to The Daily Telegraph.
“He would have been a fantastic drawcard and put back into community rugby league.
“T Rex had a discussion with him about playing even just five games.
“It didn’t work out. Maybe he’s a bit out of shape. Maybe financially, it was going to be out of our league.”
Hayne has recently been appearing in court after he pleaded not guilty to a sexual assault charge stemming from an incident in 2018.
However, despite a long case, Hayne could now be facing a prison sentence after the jury this morning found him guilty of sexual assault and he could face 14 years in prison as the maximum sentence.
Making matters worse for Hayne, it is being reported down under that the NRL are considering stripping him of his awards such as the Dally M Medal.
He is reportedly set to spend the next few days with his family as he faces the prospect of Easter behind bars.
“There’s no question about that,” Judge Graham Turnbull, SC, replied.
