Rugby League Star Jarryd Hayne Signs with San Francisco 49ers

Former rugby league player Jarryd Hayne has signed an NFL rookie contract with the San Francisco 49ers, as per the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. The 27-year-old also received offers from the Detroit Lions and Seattle Seahawks, but last Friday accepted a $100,000 deal with 49ers.

It is a move that could only be described as daring. Hayne leaves Australia's NRL as one of the best rugby league players in the game, having been a joint winner of the Dally M Medal for Player of the Year, along with North Queensland Cowboys stand-off Johnathan Thurston. It was the second time Hayne had won the award, and he seemed to be finding more consistency in his play than in the past.

So it was something of a surprise when the Parramatta Eels fullback announced that he was leaving the country to pursue his NFL dream. 

While undoubtedly an elite athlete, it will be the game-specific areas of the NFL that will challenge him the most. When you play a sport for a long time, you learn things and begin to react to them instinctively. It is one of the qualities that make the top athletes so good, as they can make split-second decisions.

However, you lack this advantage when you come to a new sport, and it is not the sort of thing that can be learnt out of a book. Some pick it up quicker than others, though, and when it comes to playing a contact sport at the top level, Hayne has shown himself more than capable.

As a rugby league player, he was known as a strong runner, capable of picking out gaps and breaking tackles. He also exhibited a high level of skill. It has been suggested that he will play as a running back, a position that would suit his fast feet and powerful running. Along with that, he could double as a punt returner, a role requiring similar abilities to the ones which saw him wreak havoc on the counter-attack in rugby league.

Whatever role he ends up with, do not expect miracles straight away. There will be a transition period while he learns how to use his abilities within the confines of a new game.

He expects to leave Australia soon in order to join the 49ers to prepare for the next NFL season.