# Australian NRL star to try his hand at NFL **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [October 21, 2014, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-nrl-star-to-try-his-hand-at-nfl/702083 "2014-10-21T23:33:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2015, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-nrl-star-to-try-his-hand-at-nfl/702083/121 "2015-09-05T23:22:53Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > Which is it? > > Anyway, he’s not a project, he’s ready to go right now as a kick and punt returner. They’ll continue to work at plays from scrimmage at practice during the season, but they’ll be getting production from him in the meantime. It’s both. Practice squad is mostly for raw developmental types, but not exclusively. It’s also part of your depth – a team that only has 2 QBs on the active will almost invariably have a 3rd on the PS – and it’s also where you put guys you want handy in case of injury or are just too good to cut loose totally. ’ ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2015, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-nrl-star-to-try-his-hand-at-nfl/702083/122 "2015-09-05T23:54:19Z")
Uh… I know what an NFL practice squad is. You said teams shouldn’t sign 27-year-old development players, but also that Hayne would wind up on a practice squad. Anyway, the 49ers cut RB Kendall Hunter, which means Hayne is at the #4 runner spot. I still think it’d be unexpected to see more than a few token plays for him from scrimmage. I see no reason for them not to cut him loose in the return game. What’s to lose for the 49ers this season? ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2015, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-nrl-star-to-try-his-hand-at-nfl/702083/123 "2015-09-06T00:46:24Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > Uh… I know what an NFL practice squad is. You said teams shouldn’t sign 27-year-old development players, but also that Hayne would wind up on a practice squad. > > Anyway, the 49ers cut RB Kendall Hunter, which means Hayne is at the #4 runner spot. I still think it’d be unexpected to see more than a few token plays for him from scrimmage. I see no reason for them not to cut him loose in the return game. What’s to lose for the 49ers this season? Oh, give him a break. Football fans are all butthurt about this. First female refs and now foreigners who don’t know if the ball is inflated or stuffed taking red-blooded American jobs. Next thing you know they’ll be employing soccer players - wait, they already do that. Soon they’ll be losing their jobs to cyclists and synchronized swimmers. ---
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2015, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-nrl-star-to-try-his-hand-at-nfl/702083/124 "2015-09-06T01:02:22Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > Uh… I know what an NFL practice squad is. You said teams shouldn’t sign 27-year-old development players, but also that Hayne would wind up on a practice squad. No, that is not what I said. I said teams didn’t sign 27 year old project players, not they shouldn’t, meaning he would be kept around (or not) on the basis of what he can do this year, not three or four years down the road. I also said that _at a minimum_ he would be on someone’s practice squad, meaning that there was no chance he was going to be cut loose and not picked up by somebody in the league. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2015, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-nrl-star-to-try-his-hand-at-nfl/702083/125 "2015-09-06T01:25:32Z")
I got incorrect info on Kendall Hunter. He was placed on IR, not cut. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2015, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-nrl-star-to-try-his-hand-at-nfl/702083/126 "2015-09-15T02:55:20Z")
Oops ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2015, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-nrl-star-to-try-his-hand-at-nfl/702083/127 "2015-09-15T03:12:49Z")
Muffed punt but with Bush going down already with an injury he should get more of a chance earlier. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2015, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-nrl-star-to-try-his-hand-at-nfl/702083/128 "2015-10-31T22:39:20Z")
And he’s been released. Even given the opportunity with Bush injured early and no depth at running back he just couldn’t hack it. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2015, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-nrl-star-to-try-his-hand-at-nfl/702083/129 "2015-11-01T02:42:53Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > And he’s been released. Even given the opportunity with Bush injured early and no depth at running back he just **couldn’t hack it.** ??? Couldn’t hack it? Wasn’t given a chance, more like it. He was given a total of 8 carries and 8 punt returns over 7 games. I could understand that if he was in a winning team with a strong and deep running back contingent. But in a 2-5 team that has looked pretty woeful all season, i really don’t understand why they didn’t give him a bit more of a shot. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2015, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-nrl-star-to-try-his-hand-at-nfl/702083/130 "2015-11-01T03:31:28Z")
You don’t earn playing time solely on play in game. They weren’t impressed with him in games or in practice. This is not an instructional league. Obviously they have seen more from Kendall Gaskin to promote him from the practice squad. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2015, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-nrl-star-to-try-his-hand-at-nfl/702083/131 "2015-11-03T00:49:01Z")
[This](http://espn.go.com/blog/san-francisco-49ers/post/_/id/15736/jarryd-hayne-became-expendable-with-carlos-hydes-injury) article explains why the injuries to the Niners running backs made Hayne expendable. With Hyde out for a while and now Bush done for the year they needed the roster spot for someone with at least college experience instead of an experiment. Add to that 3 fumbles out of 13 tries as a returner and problems picking up blocks in protection. They are in desperate need and had to put Kendall Gaskin in that roster spot. Hayne was quite possibly a better athlete than many at that position but there is no substitute for playing since you were a kid. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2015, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-nrl-star-to-try-his-hand-at-nfl/702083/132 "2015-11-03T02:53:57Z")
He’s been signed to the Niners’ practice squad. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2015, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-nrl-star-to-try-his-hand-at-nfl/702083/133 "2015-11-03T16:26:35Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > He’s been signed to the Niners’ practice squad. That means he cleared waivers and all other teams passed on him. Now it seems like the Niners injury woes are getting worse at running back so they may have no choice but to bring him back up. Carlos Hyde is nursing a stress fracture in his foot. Didn’t play last week and who knows about the future. Reggie Bush torn ACL out for the year. Mike Davis rookie RB broke his hand this week. Kendall Gaskin, rookie RB just off the practice squad. With both Bush and Davis going down this week and Hyde probably not coming back till after the bye, that leaves Gaskin as their only runner. So they can either bring Hayne back up even though he has not been effective or they go after someone else. Ray Rice is staring at his phone right now. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2015, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-nrl-star-to-try-his-hand-at-nfl/702083/134 "2015-11-03T18:51:49Z")
And they just signed Pierre Thomas. The Niners are a mess. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2015, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-nrl-star-to-try-his-hand-at-nfl/702083/135 "2015-12-26T21:09:00Z")
Jayne is out of the practice squad and back on the roster for week 16. ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2016, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-nrl-star-to-try-his-hand-at-nfl/702083/136 "2016-05-16T01:56:46Z")
[Jarryd Hayne has announced his retirement from the NFL](http://www.49ers.com/news/article-2/Jarryd-Hayne-Announces-Retirement-from-the-NFL/e3a7c5f8-d5b0-41e8-b216-c623a33387ab). "“I am retiring from the NFL because the Fiji Rugby Sevens team reached out to me about the opportunity to join the team for the upcoming Olympics, and I simply could not pass that chance up. The Olympics has been something I have admired since I was a little boy, and it is an opportunity I feel very similar to me joining the NFL. " ---
**Author:** ![russian\_heel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f05b48/32.png) [@russian\_heel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/russian_heel)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2016, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-nrl-star-to-try-his-hand-at-nfl/702083/137 "2016-05-16T05:42:14Z")
> [@Hamlet](#): > > [Jarryd Hayne has announced his retirement from the NFL](http://www.49ers.com/news/article-2/Jarryd-Hayne-Announces-Retirement-from-the-NFL/e3a7c5f8-d5b0-41e8-b216-c623a33387ab). > > "“I am retiring from the NFL because the Fiji Rugby Sevens team reached out to me about the opportunity to join the team for the upcoming Olympics, and I simply could not pass that chance up. The Olympics has been something I have admired since I was a little boy, and it is an opportunity I feel very similar to me joining the NFL. " Interpretation: NFL\>Rugby Case closed. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2016, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-nrl-star-to-try-his-hand-at-nfl/702083/138 "2016-05-16T11:45:02Z")
> [@russian\_heel](#): > > Interpretation: NFL\>Rugby > > Case closed. That’s a unsophisticated interpretation. Mine would be that it’s really hard to transition to a new sport at age 27. I mean Chad Johnson tried out for Sporting KC in MLS. Would you say that means that the 25th best soccer league \> the NFL? ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2016, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-nrl-star-to-try-his-hand-at-nfl/702083/139 "2016-05-16T12:28:19Z")
> [@Snarky\_Kong](#): > > That’s a unsophisticated interpretation. Mine would be that it’s really hard to transition to a new sport at age 27. > > I mean Chad Johnson tried out for Sporting KC in MLS. Would you say that means that the 25th best soccer league \> the NFL? Not just transitioning but doing it at the highest level. Maybe it’s just that some of us were right that rugby and football are different skillsets. He had the natural attributes to make a good football player but none of the experience. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2016, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-nrl-star-to-try-his-hand-at-nfl/702083/140 "2016-05-16T13:58:18Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > Not just transitioning but doing it at the highest level. Maybe it’s just that some of us were right that rugby and football are different skillsets. He had the natural attributes to make a good football player but none of the experience. Right. I wonder if there’s ever been a case of someone picking up a new sport that late in life and succeeding at that level. If they have I bet it’s a sport with a much smaller player base. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-nrl-star-to-try-his-hand-at-nfl/702083.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-nrl-star-to-try-his-hand-at-nfl/702083.md?page=8)