San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Tomsula wouldn’t confirm it, but it appears Jarryd Hayne has played his way on to the NFL team.
“I don’t want to sit here and make statements and things like that today, but he’s definitely got himself into the conversation,” the burly Pennsylvania-born coach told reporters after Hayne’s latest performance.
It was a sombre Tomsula after the 49ers gave up a late lead to lose 19-12 to the Peyton Manning-led Denver Broncos in Saturday’s third pre-season game.
On Tuesday the 49ers cut their 90-man roster to 75 and in a week Tomsula will settle on the 53-man squad that will play the NFL season opener against the Minnesota Vikings on September 14.
Hayne had to sit on the bench for almost three quarters in Denver waiting for an opportunity, but when it came the former Parramatta Eel again showed he had the talent, speed and power to play in the NFL.
Tomsula initially looked to his experienced running backs and punt returners – Carlos Hyde, Reggie Bush, Kendall Hunter, Bruce Ellington and Mike Davis – against the Broncos, with Hayne left on the sidelines.
With 3:22 left in the third quarter the 49ers tossed Hayne on for a punt return.
The Australian didn’t disappoint.
He caught the punt and charged forward for a 12-yard gain before being brought down by the Broncos’ Joe Duncan.
It wasn’t all pleasant for Hayne.
A short time after the punt return Hayne came in as a running back, 49ers’ back-up quarterback Blaine Gabbert offloaded the ball and the rugby league convert ran into the 188cm tall, 98kg Broncos strong safety David Bruton for no gain.
A few weeks ago 49ers’ special teams co-ordinator Thomas McGaughey Jr said he’d know if Hayne was capable of being an NFL player when he saw how he responded to being hit by an opponent in a helmet and pads.
Hayne has shown his toughness multiple times since and just 30 seconds after another Broncos enforcer, 191cm, 145kg nose tackle Darius Kilgo, and two other Broncos hit him for no gain, the Australian jumped up and was ready for more.
Hayne lined up beside Gabbert, put a move on a Broncos linebacker, got open in the centre of the field, caught a short pass from the quarterback and took off.
He split defenders and had just one to beat when he was brought down for an 18 yard gain.
Just as he was a multi-positional player in the NRL, Hayne’s versatility in the NFL by playing running back, on the special teams unit as a punt or kick returner or maybe as a wide receiver makes him highly valuable.
Tomsula would never admit to a room of reporters Hayne was a sure thing for the 53-man squad, but conceded a player who can play on special teams, as well as another position, is a sought after commodity.
“Obviously special teams value weighs very high when you’re talking about those spots,” he said.
Russell
Guest
READ ALL ABOUT IT! FORMER NRL STAR MAKES TIDDLYWINKS CUT! Two former champions sing praises of new comer to the sport. Albert Collins and George Arbuthnot probably the the two greatest tidllers and winkers of this generation were glowing in their estimation of the NRL former player's ability to get the wink into the cup! The player himself said simply that he'd left the NRL to achieve a a childhood ambition and the skills from the one game transfered easily into the other. He also mentioned the higher international profile from his new sport had also attracted him to change over. He further stated his intention to move to rugby union after his time tiddling was up and his speed had faded to a more appropriate level for that game.
Happy Jack
Guest
He is catching and running wow never done that before but good luck hope he makes it but the amount of hype is unbelievable...Americans are polite and will praise visitors but some of us have seen march champions before. Lets cool it till the season starts and then all power to him.
3 Hats
Guest
The bottom line is this, Jarryd Hayne WILL make the 53 man Roster...FULL STOP Special teams returner, running back, wide receiver...and tackling on kick off special teams.He can do more than most. Never played the game No High school, no college, no experience. People here have mentioned others who made a transition...mainly AFL punters. Big Whoop! A Punter is the last bloke to make the team. BUT... when you get guys like John Madden (arguably one of the BEST players of his era, coaches then a commentator of ALL TIME) and Jerry Rice (the best Wide Receiver of ALL Time and won 4 super bowls) and Joe Montana (the BEST Quarterback of all time, 4 time Super bowl champion and MVP) When you get the blokes of this calibre singing Haynes praises in the US Media... Jarryd has been the Story of the pre-season! You guys better stand up, listen and take notice!
Happy Jack
Guest
Right you found one guy in 1998 whose opinion was negative. Congrats players who aren't used to passing backwards and playing positions still struggle (eg US have recruited great athletes in Sevens but still cant breach the gap) they are different games get over it - the skills are only barely transferable...
Happy Jack
Guest
from 5 grunts, Kick to corner, leap , TV video ref for KFC, then try to Kick and clap (politely)
Happy Jack
Guest
Correct - more than embarassing
kosta
Guest
''there’s more to Australian sport than just hayne..'' Actually for the moment this IS the biggest story in Australian sport.
Kosta
Guest
Why would they want to BluesMan?? Hayne can be the worst player in a 53 man squad and still make a good living by Australian sports standards. What would the lowest paid player in an NRL squad of 25 make?? An NFL guy who misses the cut can try his luck in Canada or Arena Football.
BluesMan
Guest
Point being it takes more skill to play in the NRL :)
BluesMan
Guest
"I'll tell you what would happen to the Americans," said Gil Thompson, a Mississippi-based agent for players in the NFL. "They would get beat to death." http://www.nytimes.com/1998/01/10/sports/10iht-ian.t.html we all know Hayne has made the cut. Like I said, the same exact time frame Hayne had to crack the NFL
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
In Brief > Sydney/Brisane are the centres for rugby league in this country,naturally the media will use that to its advantage ,to sell papers. It's 2015 people are concerned with day to day issues in sport etc. Im sure if Folau made the move successfully to the NFL ,there would be plenty of publicity. The facts (shock horror) are about what happened currently .A top class NRL player,has just about made it in the demanding world of the NFL. I mean we get the desperate comment made by one of the Wallabies,that they should(meaning ru) claim Hayne as one of their own in the USA ,to draw attention to their match. The age of entitilement is still bubbling along.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
HJ BY comparison the amount of publicity Mark Harris received was miniscule compared to Hayne's .I also rem,member it well.And bear in mind electronic media then bore no resemblance to that of today.And I was also around ATT,watching Easts play at the Old sports ground,on the odd occasion and indeed at times the SCG. And Hayne's was a story to tell. I don't consider the Scott story to warrant huge attention today,he has in fact received some.Over the years i have read stories about his efforts, Media and I suggest most people are concerned with the now not the past.The old yesterdays fish and chip wrappers.
Aaron
Guest
the hayne media hype is embarrassing for Australians..two Australian film crews staking out 49ers training?..a microphone shoved up the face of any tom, dick and harry who knows a bit about the nfl?..get a life people..there's more to Australian sport than just hayne..
Russell Johnson
Guest
no one in particular said | August 31st 2015 @ 9:30pm | Report comment "For somebody that doesn’t care you seem invested enough to click, read and make multiple comments, and even go to the trouble of liking an article more then once If you don’t care then ignore the article" I did ignore the article actually and it's still a boring topic and I noticed you didn't even register that I'm writing about the thread and just presenting the other side of the coin........ I think free speech is allowed even on the internet! But maybe not?
no one in particular
Roar Guru
For somebody that doesn't care you seem invested enough to click, read and make multiple comments, and even go to the trouble of liking an article more then once If you don't care then ignore the article
Russell Johnson
Guest
But I don't care about how he's doing in that sport or how Sam is going in kick and clap! If they're not leaguies they're pretty pointless as far as I'm concerned! Refer you to the article too: http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/sport/2015/08/120-years-and-rugby-league-still-patronised-parochial
Aaron
Guest
if roles were reversed, do you actually think the NFL and its legions of fans would actually care if one of their stars (they have many stars) tried his hand in the nrl, regardless of any measure of success?..stop selling yourselves short, it's pathetic..
Russell Johnson
Guest
No not at all - I just prefer League by a mile ( or maybe much, much more !) The old chip argument,eh? Look up an article from the New Statesman, http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/sport/2015/08/120-years-and-rugby-league-still-patronised-parochial Funny how yawn is never bagged for having a chip about League?
Rod
Guest
All good points and pretty balanced as well. The other key component is a genuine desire to make it work, that's what Hayne has for NFL. I don't think Izzy had a deep rooted desire to play AFL hence it really did not work at all
Russell Johnson
Guest
“To argue with a person who has renounced the use of reason is like administering medicine to the dead.” Thomas Paine + ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!