DUAL international and former Australian sevens coach Mick OConnor believes Jarryd Hayne doesnt stand a chance of winning a spot on the Fjiian Olympic squad for Rio.
Aside from question marks around eligibility on drug-testing grounds, Hayne has just one tournament and seven weeks of training to prove to Fiji coach Ben Ryan he is capable of switching codes and taking one of the 12 hotly-contested spots on their Olympic squad.
OConnor - who coached Australias sevens team between ​2008 ​and ​2014​ - cant see it happening.
Not only is there ​a tiny amount of time to get Hayne in the right shape physically for sevens, he is trying to make it into the best sevens team in the world. ​​It could arguably be an even tougher job than winning a spot on the San Francisco 49ers roster.
For the Olympics? I dont think he can make it, nup, OConnor told the Daily Telegraph.
You have a number of factors. There are so many other players with more experience, who have equal ability. Im telling you, in Fiji, superstars in sevens are a dime-a-dozen. These guys, it is their national game and guys have been in the sevens programs now for years with a view to Rio.
To think you can bring in somebody, a rugby league player who has been playing NFL, and give them one tournament at best, its hard to see.
I am really surprised that everyone is talking about him making Rio​.​
OConnor said Hayne would need to rapidly get up to speed on a range of technical issues in rugby, such as the tackle contest, but more pressing will be getting in the conditioning ​work ​required to play sevens at an elite level.
Sevens players are considered some of the most aerobically fit athletes ​of​ any football code. They clock up between 1.5km to 2km per game - with a majority at high intensity effort - and play six games within 48 hours.
While he is a superb athlete, Hayne has been playing and training in NFL, where they ​focus on explosiveness and ​do next to no aerobic conditioning.
Such is the danger of a soft-tissue injury, most sevens programs wont pick a player for a tournament without ​long blocks of sevens-specific running training in their legs beforehand. Quade Cooper was a spectator in Sydney for that reason, and hed been playing 15s non-stop for over a year.
Given Fiji have never won an Olympic gold, the question is would Ryan risk his teams chances by taking Hayne?
The question is probably better posed as this: why is Ryan bringing Hayne into his program at such a late stage?
With incredible depth already and this years world series wrapped up, Fiji dont need Hayne to win but his presence alone could be ploy to ensure all his troops are on their toes for Rio.
Hayne has a huge profile in Fiji, and having him in camp would be a big thing for the Fijian players. They would not only be motivated to work harder to ensure Hayne doesnt take their spot, but if the NRL star doesnt make their squad, the confidence gained about their collective talent would skyrocket.
Ryan framed it in terms of himself but he doesnt want his Fijian team to keep skating along.
I think any coach would say theyd happily take my job. It is a good challenge to have, Ryan said.
I want to create this depth and I like to be challenged, you dont just want to keep skating along. I want someone to come in, who is going to see things differently, I am going to have to make Jarryd is up to speed and I havent forgotten things.
Its like the overseas boys in Paris. I am checking their technique is right at the breakdown, it keeps me checked as well so I like bringing new players in. It doesnt make my life any easier but for good reasons it is for us all to get better.
The camp will be like Britains Got Talent or the X Factor, boys are going to get chopped until we get down to 12, it will be like a shootout. All these stars are going to be back, everyone will be fighting hard. I have seen a glimpse of it this week, there is no space to play the competition is so high, its always at 110%. We are going to have that for six or seven weeks. I need to get that balance right, but I will stay true to my values and pick on form.
