Jarryd Hayne will begin the next chapter of his diverse sporting career as early as this weekend on Queensland’s Gold Coast – not the south coast of France or in Sydney’s western suburbs – after signing a two-year deal with the NRL’s Titans.

The two-time Dally M medal winner’s move was officially confirmed at a media conference on Wednesday that was held, fittingly, at Gold Coast airport as the player nicknamed “the Hayne plane” finally touched down back in Australia following two stints trying out different codes.

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The former Parramatta star will be available for selection immediately, given he has not played for another NRL club this year, and he now stands to line up for the Titans against the Warriors on Sunday.

“We expect he could take his place this weekend,” coach Neil Henry said. “Subject to how he is feeling about his training and how many minutes and what position we can look at with respect to the guys doing the job there at the moment.”

Hayne expressed his disappointment at not signing again for the Eels, the club where he made his name as such an explosive match-winning player, saying no formal offer had been tabled by his former club. Given his desire to get back on the playing field this year, he said he felt he had no choice but to look elsewhere.

“It wasn’t the easiest decision to make,” he said. “It’s been very emotional to make this decision. I waited as long as I could.”



Parramatta said the club had been in touch with Hayne’s management with a “substantial” offer over the past 48 hours, but it was not one which was comparable to others.

“The offer was made after reviewing the consequences of the NRL salary cap decision and the importance of maintaining a strong roster for 2017 and 2018,” the Eels’ interim chief executive, Bevan Paul, said in a statement.

In 2014, when he left the NRL to pursue his dream of playing in the NFL, Hayne said would only return to Australian rugby league if he could re-sign for the Eels, but since then the Parramatta club has been dogged by controversy.

“A part of me is sad because I’m not going to go back to the club that I grew up with and loved as a kid,” he said. “At the end of the day I wanted to play footy this year.

“The way that the board is – the way things have gone this year, couldn’t get something done, it’s sad and it hurts me just as much as I know it hurts the fans down there.”

The arrival of Hayne represents a coup for the Titans, who missed out on another star player, Daly Cherry-Evans, after a protracted transfer saga before the current season started.

With Hayne on board – and given some encouraging performances this season, not least the most recent effort against ladder-topping Cronulla – the NRL’s youngest club can now genuinely harbour premiership hopes next season.

“We all know what a talent he is,” said Henry. “I know that our players are excited to be able to welcome him to the club and, more importantly, engage with him and see him on the footy field performing in the Titans jumper.”

Media reports suggested Hayne’s deal will net him $1.2m a season, making him the NRL’s highest paid player in the league’s history.

Hayne arrives back after a two-year hiatus during which he realised his dream of playing in the NFL but failed to successfully make the transition to rugby sevens.

He made eight appearances for the San Francisco 49ers as a kick returner and running back before quitting to make a late bid to become an Olympian, representing Fiji, in sevens at the upcoming Rio Games.

But having been overlooked for the gold medal favourites’ final squad, Hayne will now turn his focus to the Titans, another club that is no stranger to controversy, but one which is showing signs of moving on from its financial problems and cocaine scandal of last year.

“It’s certainly a great occasion in the short history of our club that we’ve been able to secure the services of Jarryd,” Titans chief executive Graham Annesley said. “The club is moving in the right direction.”