- Hayne seeks media deal to recoup money from legal costs
- Former NRL star spotted with famous sprint coach
- Coach says Hayne has to feed his family and is an athletic monster
Former rugby league star Jarryd Hayne is said to be seeking a major media deal to recoup money spent on legal fees, with his new coach opening up about his financial woes.
Hayne, 36, was released from prison on June 12 after his convictions were overturned. He had spent more than a year behind bars after a jury found him guilty in April 2023 of two counts of sexual intercourse without consent.
The ruling by the New South Wales Court of Criminal Appeal ends a six-year saga that saw the two-time Dally M winner appear in court three times after he was accused of raping a woman in Newcastle during the 2018 NRL final.
After Hayne regained his freedom, he kept a low profile and returned to socializing with his family.
His final NRL footy career came in 2018, but the former Eels superstar has now surfaced on social media training with renowned sprint coach Roger Fabri.
Amazingly, Fabri believes he can get Hayne fit enough to play football again.
“He hasn’t told me what he wants to do, but the legal fees are costing him a fortune and he needs to be able to support his family,” Fabri said. News Corp.
‘I don’t think anyone can deny that he is a sports fanatic.
Former NRL star Jarryd Hayne (pictured) is said to be seeking a major media deal to recoup the money he spent on legal fees
The former Eels superstar has surfaced on social media training with renowned sprint coach Roger Fabri and many have speculated he may be attempting a comeback
“What he did in the NFL to be selected as a running back, I don’t think we’ll ever see again.
What he has done is Herculean.
‘If he wants sports to be a part of his life again, you wouldn’t support him.
“I wouldn’t say there isn’t a possibility.”
However, Nine’s Danny Weidler says Hayne actually wants a media deal.
“What Hayne is really after is a major media deal, as we revealed a few weeks ago. He wants to tell his story, but only for a significant price to recoup some of the money he spent on lawyers — reportedly some $3 million — to clear his name,” Weilder wrote in his Sydney Morning Herald column.
‘Although Hayne has his freedom, his image and reputation are not what they used to be. Hayne is learning the hard way that the media’s desire to pay for stories is not what it used to be either.
His fall from grace is a gripping story, but it can be a hard sell because of the series of trials he endured and was accused of.
It is not known what the former football star’s next move will be (pictured winning the Dally M Medal as the NRL’s best player in 2009).
The former football star was recently photographed with Parramatta Eels legend Peter Wynn
“It would be a risky deal for a television network, and while it might boost ratings, it would also draw a lot of criticism.”
Hayne has now moved far from the man once predicted to become Australia’s highest-paid athlete.
The legal ordeal has had a devastating impact on his finances, which have been depleted by legal fees for years. This situation was made worse when he was allegedly scammed out of $780,000 by a fellow inmate in a Bitcoin scam.
It is not yet known what Hayne will do next, but Lyall Mercer, a public relations and crisis communications strategist, said it was “sad that we live in an age where reputations are defined by commentary and speculation on social media rather than facts”.
“Everyone has the right to a fair trial and Jarryd has been through the legal process which has ultimately determined that at this point he remains innocent until proven guilty,” he told Ny Breaking Australia.
‘If there is no new trial, he remains innocent, regardless of what anyone thinks.
‘Jarryd has a long way to go to repair his damaged reputation.’