Jarryd Hayne's stunning NFL pre-season exploits have provided Ryan Hoffman with some respite from the Warriors' grim late-season predicament.
Fronting media midweek, the back-rower eagerly asked what topics reporters wanted to discuss, suggesting his friend and former New South Wales State of Origin teammate's phenomenal rise through the ranks ofthe San Francisco 49ers was a good place to start.
The pair were joint winners of the Brad Fittler Medal last year, the award for the best NSW player during the Origin series, and Hoffman could not hide his excitement at what the former Parramatta Eels fullback has been able to achieve since quitting the NRL in mid-October last year.
"I've been watching everything he does, to be quite honest. I was fortunate enough to have a chat to him at the third Origin and I could see there and then that he was quite confident in his ability and quite confident that he had what it takes to mix it with the NFL guys."
Hoffman never doubted Hayne's physical ability to handle the transition into a new sport, but had reservations about how he would fare against almost life-long professionals born and raised on American football.
The fact Hayne has held his own and looked at home as a returner and running back in his first two trial games against the Houston Texans and Dallas Cowboys has left Hoffman impressed.
Asked if any of his Warriors teammates could emulate Hayne's sporting switch, Hoffman backed one of his fellow forwards.
"There's plenty of good athletes. Maybe a big bloke like Benny Matu-lino on the defensive end. Fast, good hands. He could do the job."NZME
