- Jarryd Hayne had revealed that he was preparing to play in the NSWRL
- He signed a year-long deal with Wentworthville but his debut could be delayed
Jarryd Hayne has been dealt a setback in his bid to return to playing rugby league after the former Parramatta Eels star was reportedly ruled out of his first game in six years with a hamstring injury.
In February, it was revealed that the 37-year-old had agreed to a one-year NSWRL contract to play for the Wentworthville Magpies in the 2025 Ron Massey Cup.
The two-time Dally M medallist’s return comes after he spent almost two years in jail after he was convicted of two counts of sexual intercourse without consent on the night of the 2018 NRL Grand Final.
He was subsequently acquitted of the charges and was released from prison in June 2024 following an appeal.
Hayne had denied the charges throughout the legal process.
The former Eels and Gold Coast star, who also played as a running back for the San Francisco 49ers and also played union for Fiji 7s, had been battling a hamstring issue to be fit for the start of the season.
Former Parramatta Eels star Jarryd Hayne has suffered a setback in his return to playing rugby league
The two-time Dally M medallist had signed a year-long deal with the Wentworth Magpies but is set to miss their season opening clash with a hamstring injury
But according to Channel 7, medics working for Wentworthville have deemed Hayne not fit to play in Saturday’s opening round clash against the Ryde-Eastwood Hawks.
The report claims he has a ‘good chance to return’ next week when the Magpies face Penrith Brothers in round two.
It means Hayne, 37, could make his return to the footy pitch for the first time in seven years after he left the Eels in 2018 as a free agent.
He had returned to take up a role as part of Fiji’s coaching staff for the side’s Pacific Championships matches at the end of last season, before featuring in a Nines tournament on the Gold Coast in February.
Wentworthville are a feeder club to Parramatta’s NSW Cup side but Hayne has previously admitted that a return to the NRL, while a dream, would be ‘unrealistic’.
‘The fairytale would be that. But I’m realistic as well. That [comeback] is long, long odds. It’s also not my focus,’ Hayne told The Sydney Morning Herald.
He also revealed what was motivating him to step back onto the footy pitch.
‘For me, I want to get back and play in front of my kids.
Hayne had been acquitted of two counts of rape in 2024 after spending two years in prison
Hayne, who also played for the San Francisco 49ers, has been suffering from a hamstring issue in the lead up to the new season
‘I also want to do what I can to play Test football for Fiji at the end of the year. They’re due to play against Papua New Guinea and the Cook Islands. That’s the aim.
‘[Coach] Wise [Kativerata] called me last year and asked if I wanted to play. I told him I’m not in shape, and said, “I wish you had told me earlier because I would have played local footy” I’ve been out of the game for so long.
‘I try to explain to people it’s about the contact. When you’re playing regularly, and you’re hit on a regular basis, your body gets [used to it]. But when you’ve been out of it for a while, it doesn’t matter how long you played beforehand, it takes a long time for your body to adjust to that impact.
‘I want to build up to playing for Fiji. But it starts with getting my body right, and having a good year with Wenty.’
