NRL (Rugby League) star sets sights on the NFL

[MizzouHawkGal]

I can delete it for ya no problem. As for him being a PR? I hope he does actually try out for us because I'm sure we can find something for him to do if what we've been reading about him is remotely true.

 

[iigakusei]

Just imagine the trick plays Bevell can come up with for this guy! He must be salivating at the options.

 

[HawkFan72]

This is very cool. I know next to nothing about rugby, but I've heard others say this guy is like the Michael Jordan of the NRL.

And like Michael Jordan, he is leaving the sport he is great at to try a sport he will likely just be mediocre at.

 

[rastahawk]

I share the same sentiments as chawx. Be interesting to see how he measures up athletically. The NFL is a freak show of athleticism. Most of our best athletes in the US gravitate to gridiron. You put him in the back field he has to run with guys with 4.4 speed. Put him at RB, while he looks to have good vision, he has to learn to block. Maybe slot receiver? Definitely special teams as a starting point I think.

I played League in college and at the club level but I always wanted to try football because of my love of Seattle and the Seahawks. Never got the chance being on the other side of the world in my youth. I have always wondered how rugby and rugby league players would do in the NFL. And I have always wondered how the US Rugby team would do if it were the NFL guys playing instead! Russell Wilson at half back, Colin Kaepernick at first five, Beastmode at second five, AP at center, Vernon Davis and DeShawn Jackson at the wings, and Megatron at fullback. Yikes!

 

[HawkAroundTheClock]

He has the size, but based on those 11 minutes of highlights I don't see the crossover potential. I see a guy running fast, but very upright and stiff as a board. To be a ball carrier in the NFL he would have to get more compact and in position to lower his shoulder at a split-second's notice. I doubt that would come naturally for him. Some guys who've played RB their whole lives still have trouble with it.

He runs through arm tackles well and he has a decent stiff arm, but in the NFL you are almost never going to find yourself carrying the ball and confronting a group of waiting defenders who just reach out and try to grab you with their hands. You're going to take big hits and they come from all directions and they come high, low, and even though it's a penalty, at your head. Also, he'd be wearing an unfamiliar helmet that severely limits peripheral vision to anticipate those hits. The way practices are now, with limited contact, it would be very difficult to adequately gauge his ability to play in full pads, at full speed, against full contact.

There's no harm in giving him an opportunity to show what he can do, but aside from maybe KR or PR, I doubt he makes any impact in American football.

 

[Hawkspur]

I share the same sentiments as chawx. Be interesting to see how he measures up athletically. The NFL is a freak show of athleticism. Most of our best athletes in the US gravitate to gridiron. You put him in the back field he has to run with guys with 4.4 speed. Put him at RB, while he looks to have good vision, he has to learn to block. Maybe slot receiver? Definitely special teams as a starting point I think.

I played League in college and at the club level but I always wanted to try football because of my love of Seattle and the Seahawks. Never got the chance being on the other side of the world in my youth. I have always wondered how rugby and rugby league players would do in the NFL. And I have always wondered how the US Rugby team would do if it were the NFL guys playing instead! Russell Wilson at half back, Colin Kaepernick at first five, Beastmode at second five, AP at center, Vernon Davis and DeShawn Jackson at the wings, and Megatron at fullback. Yikes!

That's terrifying... not to mention a back row of JJ Watt, Cameron Wake and Jadeveon Clowney and who knows which freaks in the front five.

edit- Michael Bennett would have to be the hooker (yes- rugby has a position known as the hooker. The All Blacks recently had one whose name was Andrew Hore. He was about as dirty as they come, too, although possibly not like that!).

 

[dopeboy206]

Those saying PR not sure if I want a rugby guy catching the ball and returning punts. Just saying.

 

[Subzero717]

He would be a distraction.

 

[SomersetHawk]

Lawrence Okoye was a reasonably promising Rugby (Union) player, he gave it up and became an Olympic discus thrower, and now he's with the 49ers. He looked absolutely horrible last year but flashed a fair bit of promise this preseason. I'm in doubt as to whether he'll ever see the regular season but he's only 22.

Hayne's 26 already, and I think it's probably a little too late for him to learn the linebacker or safety position. It would be interesting to see what his route running's like though. I bet he'd be pretty great on special teams, and I'd feel much better about him catching the ball than most guys. Fullback's always an option too (as some have mentioned).

I've always wondered how some Rugby players would get on in the NFL. I'd bet there's a few guys out there who would make stud TEs.

 

[mikeak]

The thought from him is he thinks he can make it as a KR/PR. He appears to be an absolute stud and you have to give the guy respect for leaving something he is apparently the best at to chase $$$$$$$$$$$.

Fixed it for you

 

[HawkinNY]

Who's the guy at 5:42 who ran after him. Man he was fast!

 

[bmorepunk]

The list of elite athletes who couldn't make it in the NFL after playing at all levels before it is very, very long. This story is of mild interest, but it seems like a longshot for an adult athlete to pick up a sport well enough to compete at it at the highest level without years of development behind it.

Lawrence Okoye was a reasonably promising Rugby (Union) player, he gave it up and became an Olympic discus thrower, and now he's with the 49ers. He looked absolutely horrible last year but flashed a fair bit of promise this preseason. I'm in doubt as to whether he'll ever see the regular season but he's only 22.

Hayne's 26 already, and I think it's probably a little too late for him to learn the linebacker or safety position. It would be interesting to see what his route running's like though. I bet he'd be pretty great on special teams, and I'd feel much better about him catching the ball than most guys. Fullback's always an option too (as some have mentioned).

I've always wondered how some Rugby players would get on in the NFL. I'd bet there's a few guys out there who would make stud TEs.

 

[SouthSoundHawk]

More gimmicky stuff

Use him on bubble screens.

Edited By Throwdown for inappropriate language.

 

[SnoCoHawk]

He has the size, but based on those 11 minutes of highlights I don't see the crossover potential. I see a guy running fast, but very upright and stiff as a board.

I was thinking the same thing. The guy runs like Forrest Gump ("I'm run-ning, Jen-ny!"). He'd have to change that a LOT to start looking like an NFL player.

 

[Hawkscanner]

I played some rugby in college, so you could say that I have a bit of a different perspective on this. Athletically, from what I saw from that film ... I simply say, "WOW!" Physical-tools wise -- this guy most certainly DOES have what it takes to make it in the NFL. I would say there's no question about that. The biggest question (of course) is what's between the ears. Rugby (and the mentality that you play with) is very different from that of a football player. Learning the rules and all of the nuances of the game of football -- there's no question that's going to be a huge challenge.

And for the football player transitioning to rugby it can be difficult as well. We had some college football players who played on our club and let me tell you, it was a bit of an adjustment for those guys. We had guys who had played linebacker ... and I remember vividly in the first couple of games how much some of them would struggle. These guys would gear up to smack the living snot out of the ball carrier with everything they had ... whack their opponent to the turf and they'd expect a breakage in the action. They had been geared from a young age that once the guy is down, you wait for the whistle to blow ... everyone huddles up ... and you line up for another down after a few seconds of stoppage. I remember this one ex-football player's eyes practically bugging out of his head after he had just laid this guy out with everything he had ... and the opponent calmly picked the ball back up and proceeded to start running down the field again. So yes, rugby IS a real physical game ... but you learn real fast that you can't hit guys with 100% of everything every time because there is no stoppage of play. If you do that, you'll tire quickly because it's somewhat like soccer (with hitting/tackling involved). You DO learn to tackle in rugby (to wrap up -- that's what you mostly do), so that skillset I would say would translate well for him.

That said, I COULD absolutely envision a scenario where this guy makes an NFL roster and could become a contributor. If you give him a little coaching, I could certainly see him as a Special Teams guy. If he can actually catch (at the 1:17 mark in that clip it sure looks to me like he's got decent hands), then I would say he would be a natural Punt Returner. Can we think of a team near and dear to our hearts who could use a PR? I most certainly can. Bryan Walters isn't exactly setting the world on fire as a return man nor in the passing game by any means. He's sure handed, but that's about it. Walters has absolutely NO sizzle -- no jets whatsoever.

Hayne obviously has speed and elusiveness -- from looking at that film, that's obvious. All he has to be able to do is catch the ball, head upfield, and avoid tacklers. As a rugby player, that's what he does on a game in and game out basis. Can I envision a scenario where Schneider brings him in and gives him a tryout with the idea of making him a return man? Absolutely. From Day 1, Schneider said that he and his scouts would be everywhere and in on everything. Pete Carroll is always looking for freak athletes -- he has said that many, many times -- that's what he's all about. He is always looking for physically gifted guys. If Hayne showed he could actually handle punts, is it completely crazy to suggest that they might make a spot for him as a PR? I don't think so whatsoever. Such a move may not happen this year ... but I could certainly see this as something that could possibly make sense this next offseason. Count me as one who would be highly surprised if Schneider and the Hawks don't at least bring him in for a tryout (i.e Bryan Banks and Darren Fells). In fact, I'd bank on it happening.

 

[FormerEvil]

The thought from him is he thinks he can make it as a KR/PR. He appears to be an absolute stud and you have to give the guy respect for leaving something he is apparently the best at to chase $$$$$$$$$$$.

Fixed it for you

Wow. Jaded much? He wouldn't be making the money he's making now. No way he signs for a mil a year. He's definitely looking at a pay cut to play here.

 

[KiwiHawk]

Many comments in this thread amuse me.

NFL players playing rugby? That would be amusing. I'd still bet the farm on the All Blacks. JJ Watt is very quick for short bursts with a 45-second rest in between, but would he have the puff to scrum after running the length of the field? A team of NFL players might even have some early success, but by half time they'd be pretty much done. Players who can't play both offense and defense for 80 minutes need not apply.

The NFL has breaks between plays and a Wall Street journal study showed that in the average 60-minute NFL game there was 11 minutes of action. Divide that between offense and defense, and each player plays for roughly 5.5 minutes of activity. Rugby is not without down time. There are line-outs, scrum resets, time wasted setting up penalty kicks, etc. A study showed that in the 2011 World Cup the average 80-minute match had 25 minutes of actual rugby. Still, that's nearly 5 times the activity of an NFL player. It's a different level of fitness altogether.

The top athletes in the US play football. The top athletes in New Zealand play rugby union. The top athletes in New South Wales (Sydney, biggest city in Oz) play rugby league. Make no mistake - Hayne is a top athlete. He was awarded as being the best at his sport last year.

Assuming he really is the best athlete Aussie has to offer, he'd be 1 in 26 million, so mathematically there would be 11 people as good or better in the US. Granted, the NFL attracts some fine athletes, but is anyone seriously suggesting that for each of the top-10 Australian athletes there are 170 better athletes in the NFL alone? Because the NFL has 1700 first-roster players (excluding practice squads). Is it really the case there are 1700 players in the NFL all better than arguably Australia's best athlete? Or is that opinion ever so slightly optimistically patriotic?

 

[rastahawk]

Not sure if anyone meant you take NFL players right now and make a rugby team out of them and they would immediately be good. In my case I was thinking along the lines of if you took these players and groomed them in rugby from the start instead of football.

Yes Hayne is a top Aussie athlete but how many league players are world class strength and speed athletes? Some of these guys in the NFL could be Olympic sprinters and hurdlers if they wanted. One year they figured (mathematically) that they could take the fastest four guys in the NFL and they could medal in the 100 meter relay in the Olympics. While I do agree that the guy is an athlete but I think he is stepping into an arena where the talent is a tier up than what he's use to and on top of that he will be playing them at their game!

 

[KiwiHawk]

Not sure if anyone meant you take NFL players right now and make a rugby team out of them and they would immediately be good. In my case I was thinking along the lines of if you took these players and groomed them in rugby from the start instead of football.

Yes Hayne is a top Aussie athlete but how many league players are world class strength and speed athletes? Some of these guys in the NFL could be Olympic sprinters and hurdlers if they wanted. One year they figured (mathematically) that they could take the fastest four guys in the NFL and they could medal in the 100 meter relay in the Olympics. While I do agree that the guy is an athlete but I think he is stepping into an arena where the talent is a tier up than what he's use to and on top of that he will be playing them at their game!

So I'll mark you down as one who believes there are 1700 NFL players better than him. Otherwise he has a place in the NFL, doesn't he?

Seems a bit long odds to me, but I left my patriotism at home when I moved abroad.

I'm not asking the guy to supplant Russell Wilson or take over pass rushing for JJ Watt. Just examining the chance he might be better than Bryan Walters for our return game.

There have been some great kickers in the NFL from all over the world, but even at that the record NFL field goal is only 64 yards. In rugby the longest penalty kick is 82 yards. I've personally seen Francois Steyn from South Africa hit from 72. So it's not true that all the best play for the NFL. Yes, I do know that's a specialization, but the point is that Steyn could easily have landed an NFL contract as a kicker or punter and chose to play rugby instead.

Hayne is a freak athlete. Carroll's M.O is to select player who have unteachable qualities, and teach the rest. Sure this guy would represent a challenge, but an insurmountable one? Remains to be seen.

 

[CaptGrumpy]

I played some rugby in college, so you could say that I have a bit of a different perspective on this. Athletically, from what I saw from that film ... I simply say, "WOW!" Physical-tools wise -- this guy most certainly DOES have what it takes to make it in the NFL. I would say there's no question about that. The biggest question (of course) is what's between the ears. Rugby (and the mentality that you play with) is very different from that of a football player. Learning the rules and all of the nuances of the game of football -- there's no question that's going to be a huge challenge.

I am an Aussie and fan of the NFL and the NRL where Hayne currently plays (or at least did until a few days ago. I think you are on the money saying that the mindset will be the big change for Hayne. The two games are very different. He is going into this knowing that he has a lot to learn and is willing to spend time learning the game.

And for the football player transitioning to rugby it can be difficult as well. We had some college football players who played on our club and let me tell you, it was a bit of an adjustment for those guys. We had guys who had played linebacker ... and I remember vividly in the first couple of games how much some of them would struggle. These guys would gear up to smack the living snot out of the ball carrier with everything they had ... whack their opponent to the turf and they'd expect a breakage in the action. They had been geared from a young age that once the guy is down, you wait for the whistle to blow ... everyone huddles up ... and you line up for another down after a few seconds of stoppage. I remember this one ex-football player's eyes practically bugging out of his head after he had just laid this guy out with everything he had ... and the opponent calmly picked the ball back up and proceeded to start running down the field again. So yes, rugby IS a real physical game ... but you learn real fast that you can't hit guys with 100% of everything every time because there is no stoppage of play. If you do that, you'll tire quickly because it's somewhat like soccer (with hitting/tackling involved). You DO learn to tackle in rugby (to wrap up -- that's what you mostly do), so that skillset I would say would translate well for him.

I don't believe the athleticism is going to be a problem at all. They guy has a background in athletics and his agility, speed and fitness will put him in good stead. You have to remember he plays for 80 minutes solid. There is no break for him in NRL. The guy can tackle too.

That said, I COULD absolutely envision a scenario where this guy makes an NFL roster and could become a contributor. If you give him a little coaching, I could certainly see him as a Special Teams guy. If he can actually catch (at the 1:17 mark in that clip it sure looks to me like he's got decent hands), then I would say he would be a natural Punt Returner. Can we think of a team near and dear to our hearts who could use a PR? I most certainly can. Bryan Walters isn't exactly setting the world on fire as a return man nor in the passing game by any means. He's sure handed, but that's about it. Walters has absolutely NO sizzle -- no jets whatsoever.

His main role in NRL is as a FB, and their job is to take and return kicks, but they are on the field all game and chime into the attack or defence as required. He has good hands and can jump for a ball.

Hayne obviously has speed and elusiveness -- from looking at that film, that's obvious. All he has to be able to do is catch the ball, head upfield, and avoid tacklers. As a rugby player, that's what he does on a game in and game out basis. Can I envision a scenario where Schneider brings him in and gives him a tryout with the idea of making him a return man? Absolutely. From Day 1, Schneider said that he and his scouts would be everywhere and in on everything. Pete Carroll is always looking for freak athletes -- he has said that many, many times -- that's what he's all about. He is always looking for physically gifted guys. If Hayne showed he could actually handle punts, is it completely crazy to suggest that they might make a spot for him as a PR? I don't think so whatsoever. Such a move may not happen this year ... but I could certainly see this as something that could possibly make sense this next offseason. Count me as one who would be highly surprised if Schneider and the Hawks don't at least bring him in for a tryout (i.e Bryan Banks and Darren Fells). In fact, I'd bank on it happening.

I agree, I can see teams giving him a shot, and he has the basic athleticism to have a good go at making the transition. Hayne has said he would happily give PR and KR a go, but his main aim is on becoming a RB. He knows he will need to change, and he is willing to come there and learn and change. With NFL specific training his body shape will change a little and he will improve whatever key attributes that he needs to change to suit the position that any team would want for him. I am sad to see him leave my NRL team, but excited to see how he goes with the transition. I wouldn't be surprised to see him make it, nor would I be surprised to see it not work out because the games are very different.