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Hayne won't create NRL exodus, because he's "special"

Roar Guru
5th March, 2015
11

Jarryd Hayne’s success in earning an NFL contract won’t lead to a host of American talent scouts plucking talent from the NRL, says the former rugby league star’s manager Wayne Beavis.

Hayne announced on Tuesday he had earned a rookie contract with the San Francisco 49ers, five months after quitting the NRL to chase his NFL dream.

The 27-year-old will join the 49ers for training in April.

But NRL CEO Dave Smith needn’t open his much-vaunted war chest to keep other stars in the NRL as Beavis thinks only a very select type of athlete will want to take the NFL gamble.

Smith is already under pressure to prevent South Sydney superstar Greg Inglis from taking up massive offers from European rugby.

Beavis believes NFL scouts won’t be rushing to Australia to cherry-pick NRL talent and he also hadn’t been contacted by any NRL players wanting to follow Hayne’s trail.

“You have to be a special sort of person, you have to be going over there for the right reasons,” Beavis told AAP.

“You have to have a special personality, you have to want to challenge yourself.

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“If you are going for the money you are wasting your time.

“They (scouts) aren’t going to come searching down here either, they don’t have to, they’ve got trillions over there (wanting to play).”

Hayne now has to impress the 49ers to work his way into the full-time squad when it is whittled down from 90 to 53 for the season proper.

But Beavis, who has looked after Hayne since he was 16, has no doubts he will be a success.

“This is a big step for Jarryd, this is a massive personal and financial gamble, it should be applauded,” he said.

“If you look at his numbers they all stack up, he will make it for sure.

“It is massive for Australia sport.”

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