- Hayne seeks settlement with media to recover money spent on legal fees
- A former NRL star was spotted with a famous speed coach
- Coach says Hayne needs to feed his family and is an extraordinary athlete
Former rugby league star Jarryd Hayne is reportedly seeking a huge media deal to recoup money he spent on legal fees, as his new coach speaks out about his financial problems.
Hayne, 36, was released from prison on June 12 after his convictions were overturned, having spent more than a year behind bars after a jury in April 2023 found him guilty of two counts of sexual intercourse without consent.
The decision by the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal ended a six-year saga that saw the two-time Dally M winner face three trials after being accused of raping a woman in Newcastle at the 2018 NRL grand final.
Since regaining his freedom, Hayne has kept a low profile as he reintegrates into life with his family.
He last played NRL football in 2018 but the former Eels superstar has appeared on social media training with famed sprint coach Roger Fabri.
Amazingly, Fabri believes he can get Hayne fit enough to play football again.
“He hasn’t told me what he wants to do, but his legal fees are costing him a fortune and he needs to feed his family,” Fabri said. News Corporation.
‘I don’t think anyone can deny the fact that he’s an athletic phenomenon.
Former NRL star Jarryd Hayne (pictured) is reportedly seeking a huge media settlement to recoup money he spent on legal fees.
The former Eels superstar appeared on social media training with famed sprint coach Roger Fabri and many have speculated he could be attempting a comeback.
‘What he did in the NFL to get drafted as a running back, I don’t think we’ll ever see that again.
‘What he has done is herculean.
“If he wants sport to be part of his life again, there is no need to go against him.
“I wouldn’t say there’s anything out of the question.”
However, Nine’s Danny Weidler says what Hayne really wants is a media deal.
“What Hayne is really seeking is a big media deal, as we revealed a few weeks ago. He wants to tell his story, but only for a significant price to recoup some of the money he spent on lawyers – believed to be around $3 million – to clear his name,” Weilder wrote in his statement. Sydney Morning Herald column.
‘While Hayne has his freedom, his image and reputation are not what they once were. Hayne is learning the hard way that the media’s desire to pay for stories is not what it once was either.
‘His fall from grace is a shocking story, but it may be a difficult sell given the series of trials he went through and what he was accused of.
It is not known what the next step will be for the former football star (pictured winning the Dally M Medal as the NRL’s best player in 2009).
The former football star was recently pictured with Parramatta Eels legend Peter Wynn.
“It would be a risky deal for a television network and, while it might generate good ratings, it would also attract a lot of criticism.”
Hayne is now a far cry from the man once predicted to become Australia’s highest-paid sportsman.
The legal ordeal had a devastating impact on his finances, eroded by years of legal fees, a situation made worse when a fellow inmate allegedly defrauded him of $780,000 in a Bitcoin scam.
It is not known what Hayne will do next, but Lyall Mercer, a PR and crisis communications strategist, said it was “unfortunate that we live in an age where reputation is defined by social media commentary and speculation rather than facts”.
“Everyone deserves a fair trial and Jarryd has been through the legal process which ultimately decided that at this stage he is still innocent until proven guilty,” she told Daily Mail Australia.
‘If there is no new trial, he will remain innocent, regardless of what anyone thinks.
‘Jarryd has a journey ahead of him to rebuild his reputation that has been destroyed.’
