BREAKING NEWS: The NRL could STRIP Jarryd Hayne off his two Dally M medals in a never-before-seen move after the disgraced footy legend was found guilty of raping a woman five years ago
- Jarryd Hayne was found guilty of raping a woman in Newcastle in 2018
- The former NRL star is now awaiting sentences for two counts of assault
- Hayne can be stripped of the Dally M Medals he won in 2009 and in 2014
The NRL is expected to consider stripping Jarryd Hayne of his two Dally M medals after he was found guilty of raping a woman on the night of the 2018 grand final.
Hayne, one of the biggest names in 21st century rugby league, is now awaiting sentencing on two counts of sexual assault.
After being found guilty in 2021 and spending nine months behind bars, Hayne successfully won the right to a new trial before Tuesday’s verdict the following year.
His next ruling will likely come in the boardroom of the ARL committee.
Hayne is a two-time Dally M Medalist, winning the NRL’s main gong in 2009 and 2014.
Former NRL star Jarryd Hayne was found guilty of raping a woman in 2018
Hayne, one of the biggest names in 21st century rugby league, now awaits sentencing on two counts of sexual assault
He was also the NRL’s winger of the year in 2007 before taking the game’s best fullback honors twice.
Any decision on whether the 35-year-old will be stripped of those honors will come after an appeal has closed, after Hayne maintained his innocence on Tuesday and indicated an appeal could follow.
If so, it would be the first time the NRL has stripped titles from a person.
They have done this as a team before, stripping Melbourne premierships in 2007 and 2009 after cheating with salary caps.
At Parramatta it is likely that they will follow the lead of the NRL.
Hayne was twice awarded the Eels’ illustrious Ken Thornett Medal, while also winning the Jack Gibson Coach Award in 2009 and being the club’s Rookie of the Year in 2006.
The full-back has been largely missing from the NRL highlights in recent years, having been one of the game’s most recognizable players.
He shot to prominence during Parramatta’s run to the 2009 Grand Final and put on one of the most dominant runs in memory to help the Eels to their first decider in eight years.
He was also the man behind NSW’s drought-breaking State of Origin success in 2014, starring in Game I and then running the ball dead to clinch the series in Sydney.
In total, he scored 121 tries in 214 NRL matches, representing NSW 23 times and Australia and Fiji in a total of 21 matches.
He was also never far from the headlines after being the target of a drive-by shooting in Kings Cross in 2008 and shocking the NRL in late 2014 by deciding to pursue a career in the NFL.
By the time Hayne was charged he had returned to the NRL but his best playing days were behind him.
The former Parramatta star can now be stripped of the Dally M Medal he won in 2009
He could also lose the Dally M Medal he took home in 2014 alongside Jonathan Thurston (right)
Hayne played 191 games in two spells for Parramatta, helping the Eels reach the 2009 Grand Final, which they lost to the Melbourne Storm
His senior year with Parramatta resulted in a wooden spoon, and Hayne would go into the 2019 pre-season unsigned.
Despite his past performance, it was likely that he would still earn a contract.
But by 20 days into the official rugby league year in November 2018, he was charged with assaulting a woman in Newcastle.
After battling those charges unsuccessfully for four and a half years, Hayne’s rugby league performance could be dropped as one of the final penalties.