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.

He could, at an outside chance, make it onto a roster as a special teams player on kickoff/punt coverage. Often these are back-up receivers/running backs/defensive backs whose job it is to get downfield and tackle the kick returner of the opposition. Typically, a team might carry maybe one player on the roster because of his value on special teams. Everyone else will be expected to contribute to other parts of the game, and be ready to step up if someone else gets injured.

What absolute unsubstantiated claptrap



Edit* you know what, I apologise, my comment was too harsh and some of my frustration was not really aimed at you. That said I still disagree with large amounts of what you've said but, as someone else pointed out, at least you reasoned out your opinions.

What's absurd or nonsensical? I thought it was a very well argued opinion. I take it you don't actually have a reasoned argument, then?

All based on the false premise that U.S. NFL athletes are all bigger, faster, more agile, more explosive and more powerfull than Hayne which simply isn't true!



Hayne will have technicalities to master and understanding the game will be his biggest challenge but to write him off on the basis that he just won't measure up athletically is wrong.

He may have the same athletic raw materials as some NFL starters, and if he'd have been coached and honing himself athletically for the specifics of gridiron since he was 18 then he'd be on a level playing field with them, but he hasn't so he isn't. It's not about NFL players being natural athletic supermen, it's about them being gifted athletes (like Hayne) who have been specifically developed for the sport (unlike Hayne).



I suppose it's not impossible he'll make a fist of it and good luck to him for trying, but it's very, very unlikely.

Hopefully we'll get to see his NFL Draft Combine Test results to see how he matches up with other NFL guys.

His Emotional Intelligence (EQ) will be far higher than most of those he's competing against. His self management as an athlete will be in advance of theirs, his ability to handle all levels of anxiety, understand his body, diet, prehab, rehab, hydration and a multitude of psychological skills will all be an advantage to him.



Rather than being a raw athlete he is exactly the opposite and could well be ahead of many of his peers in the trials. Indeed his uniqueness due to his background could be his biggest asset.

Personally haven't a clue if he'll make it.... but I really hope he does.



As far as the comment I said about the Combine Test, imo is advantage is that is he's older than most he'll be competeing with, he's in his prime they're 22/23 fpr the most.



You've lost me with the EI bit tbh but there's no doubt he's played RL at the very top level and has all that comes with that on his side. But American Footballl is a different game, like posters before have said before and it comes down to finding him a position and him learning it.



I also think you under kind of underestimate College Football and the height it's played in the US. Huge amounts of Cash they have behind them and the quality number of athletes that leave their progammes.