Former NRL star Jarryd Hayne has been offered a surprise return, six years after his last appearance on a top-flight football pitch.
Fiji national coach and former NRL player Wise Kativerata hopes the 36-year-old will make a decision before the island nation competes in the Pacific Bowl tournament in November.
The two-time Dally M Medal winner has not played a match since 2018 while facing sexual assault allegations.
Hayne was initially found guilty, but the charges were overturned on appeal in June when he walked out of prison a free man.
The Fiji coach said “the door is open for him if he wants to join” after chief sprint coach Roger Fabri cleared up concerns over his fitness.
“He (Hayne) is fit but we are waiting for his decision if he is interested, which will be a boost for the team,” Kativerata said. The Daily Telegraph.
Fabri described Hayne as an “elite athlete” who can never be ignored if he “sets his mind to something.”
“When Jarryd puts his effort in, he never strays, he’s proven that time and time again. He did the unthinkable by making an NFL roster,” he said.
Two-time Dally M Medal winner Jarryd Hayne (pictured) received an offer to join the Fiji national team more than half a decade since he last stepped onto the field.
Fiji will play Papua New Guinea and the Cook Islands in tests to be played in Fiji and Port Moresby
The final will be played at Sydney’s Commbank Stadium on 10 November.
But even if Hayne agrees to play, it’s not a guaranteed deal.
The Australian Rugby League Commission must still approve the deal, even though Hayne is not a contracted player.
The issue will be discussed if Hayne is selected.
Born to a Fijian father, Hayne scored five tries in 10 games for Fiji as a dual citizen during the 2008 and 2017 World Cups.
Hayne’s career came to an end in 2018 after sexual assault allegations were leveled against him and he was jailed for two years before being released on appeal.
He represented Australia at the 2013 World Cup, scoring three goals and assisting twice in a 64–0 win over Fiji.
Australia would go on to win the final against New Zealand with Hayne scoring two more tries and being crowned joint-manager alongside Johnathon Thurston.
His career ended after the 2018 NRL season concluded when Parramatta refused to offer him a contract after sexual assault allegations emerged.
However, Hayne was honored the following year after a panel of top coaches and Hall of Fame players voted him to the 2010 “team of the decade.”
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