Disgraced NRL star Jarryd Hayne makes a ‘huge legal move’ after being jailed for rape earlier this year

Ex-NRL star Jarryd Hayne has launched a new appeal to clear his name after being jailed for raping a woman in a Newcastle home almost five years ago.

The former Dally M winner, who has had a remarkable fall from grace, was found guilty of two counts of sexual intercourse without consent in May this year and sentenced to four years and nine months behind bars.

It is estimated that Hayne has spent more than $2 million in legal fees and it is understood he has had to sell real estate to cover the costs.

News Corp reports on Sunday that Hayne’s lawyer, Margaret Cunneen SC, is preparing a new appeal for the footy star.

“It is on the basis of an unreasonable and unjustified verdict that is not supported by evidence,” Cunneen said.

Hayne’s lawyer is reportedly preparing a new appeal for the former football star

The NRL is reportedly keeping a close eye on the outcome and is expected to strip him of his Dally M awards if he fails to overturn his conviction.

Hayne’s life is now very different to that of the famous footballer who drunkenly approached the front door of a Fletcher home on the night of the 2018 NRL grand final at 9.07pm.

When he came out 46 minutes later, Hayne left a young woman in her room with blood on her bedspread and painful wounds to her vagina.

Earlier this year, almost five years after the volatile encounter, the infamous incident led to him being jailed for a second time.

Used to being a household name, Hayne started his career in the first grade with the Parramatta Eels in 2006.

But his popularity only peaked in 2014 when it was revealed he would be leaving the NRL and months later he signed for the San Francisco 49ers in the NFL.

Hayne would only last one season, during which he was accused of making an American woman bleed from her vagina after an alleged sexual assault in December 2015.

The woman filed a civil case against Hayne in 2017 because there was not enough evidence to bring criminal charges. Hayne settled for almost $100,000 in 2019.

The NRL is expected to strip Hayne of his Dally M awards if he fails to overturn the conviction

It is estimated that Hayne spent more than $2 million on trials and appeals

Throughout his career, Hayne represented NSW in State of Origin 23 times, while also playing 21 times for Australia and Fiji in Test matches.

The legal costs have plunged the ex-sportsman into financial disaster, forcing him to lose a large portion of his real estate portfolio – once worth more than $5 million.

The father-of-two is estimated to be paying up to $13,000 a day to his legal team during his trials.

According to insiders, barrister Phillip Boulten SC was charging $9,900 a day, and barrister Penny Musgrove was charging $3,000 a day.

“(Boulten) is one of the most respected silks in the country and could even command a lot more,” a source told Daily Mail Australia.

Hayne’s property portfolio was once worth more than $5 million, including terraces and cottages in Sydney’s trendy suburbs, as well as two apartments in Parramatta and a house in Umina Beach, where his mother Jodie lives in a granny flat at the back.

However, since his career waned and the legal bills mounted, Hayne has fired almost all of them and moved his family to a rental house in South Wentworthville.

In his heyday he owned investments in Paddington and Darlinghurst, which sold for $2.97 million in 2017 and $2.2 million in 2019 respectively.

Hayne sold his first Sydney home purchase in St Peters for $995,000 in 2015, prior to his legal troubles, when he made the move to the US to pursue a career in the NFL.

Hayne is said to have kept his modest $388,750 pile on the Central Coast, where he built an $80,000 custom extension for his mother, as well as a unit in Parramatta.

The real estate enthusiast is now referred to as inmate 661736, and his living space is a far cry from his swanky former investments.

He now spends his days isolated in a 3-by-4-meter cell, with only 25 minutes of free time outside to walk around and read his Bible.