Jarryd Hayne left the NRL as a bona fide star. On Monday morning his San Francisco 49ers face a player who could easily be described as the NFL equivalent of what he once was.
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Green Bay Packers star, and reigning MVP, Aaron Rodgers will stride onto Levi's Stadium with every reason to feel good about himself.
Hayne is at the other end of the NFL spectrum to Rodgers. He's still finding his way, albeit at an impressive rate.
In a game where problems emerge at a faster rate than solutions, Hayne's search for greater opportunities as a punt returner is largely dependent on his own defence.
If they are unable to prevent the opposition from going on yardage-eating drives, Hayne - and any other punt returner in the league - won't get the open space they crave.
Kicks from midfield end up being very high and don't give returners chance to do much else other than call for a fair catch to avoid being set upon as soon as the ball falls from the sky.
Hayne chances were limited last week as the 49ers defence struggled against the Cardinals.
Hayne watch
When your team loses 47-7 and you are free from blame, you must have had a good day. Hayne's input was limited to punt returns in the hammering at the hands of the Arizona Cardinals, but his 37-yard kick return was perhaps the high point of an otherwise miserable day.
Despite the consternation, Hayne finally seems to be settling into his role in the NFL. Instead of leading to hand-wringing from his loyal army of fans, Hayne's pigeon-holing as a punt returner is actually a good thing provided that he continues to perform. It shows that the coaching staff trust him enough to handle such an important role.
The other wrinkle for Hayne this week is the expected return of both Reggie Bush and Bruce Ellington. Both have returned to full training.
Bush will return as back-up to first-choice running back Carlos Hyde and Ellington will play as a wide receiver and punt returner.
That is likely to leave running back Mike Davis, and maybe even Hayne on the sidelines when the 46-man active roster is announced 90 minutes before kick off.
The match
The Packers are 3-0 and in a different stratosphere to the 49ers, who are 1-2. For one they have a quarterback that is at the height of his powers.
While Rodgers' dominance has drawn comparisons to Michael Jordan this week, 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick (he of the US$126 million contract) has looked more like Tracy Jordan attempting to play football.
To put it bluntly, Hayne's team is facing a monumental challenge this week.
If things don't improve markedly on Sunday, this could get ugly quickly for San Francisco.
