• 47 mins ago

"It's my house." With those three words Jarryd Hayne celebrated shattering the hearts of his hometown. '"You couldn't have written the script any better," he said later.

The more they seem the same, the more they seem different. James Tedesco and Jarryd Hayne's battle for the hearts and minds of south-western Sydney couldn't have been fought more differently.

Jason Taylor's first act as an NRL coach was to launch the Hayne Plane. A decade on, the Wests Tigers coach needs to, at least temporarily, stall the trajectory of Jarryd Hayne.

The father of Jarryd Hayne says he shouldn't be blamed for not re-joining the "dog's breakfast" that is Parramatta and predicted 'The Plane' would soar to even greater heights in his return to the NRL.

Nathan Peats had a simple message for Jarryd Hayne when it came to the differences between the Titans and Eels: "We play more open footy".

The NRL's match review committee boss has defended the consistency of charges over the spate of referee touching, claiming he "won't apologise for where we're at with this situation" after Jarryd Hayne was one of four players to come under the microscope over the weekend.

Jarryd Hayne has not been charged after apparently making contact with a referee during his return to the NRL on Sunday.

The Hayne Plane is back, baby. But did he ever really leave?

• COMMENT

Has there ever been a more highly anticipated comeback match than Jarryd Hayne's return to rugby league on Sunday afternoon?

The man who helped whip Jarryd Hayne into shape for his journeys across the sporting codes believes the Gold Coast recruit is ready to handle the physical demands of playing 80 minutes at fullback on Sunday.

The Hayne Plane could take the Titans back to the US with the club's major sponsor supporting such a move.

Paul Gallen will provide Laurie Daley with advice on who should assume his mantle as the NSW skipper if it is wanted, but he said it's far too early to gauge whether Jarryd Hayne should be a candidate.

Jarryd Hayne's every move will be captured on a special "Hayne Cam" for the Titans star's rugby league return.

Karmichael Hunt knows how it feels to be on the end of stinging criticism but says Jarryd Hayne is right to take the risks he has.

Australian coach Mal Meninga reckons Jarryd Hayne isn't a realistic chance of reclaiming his Kangaroos jersey this year and says there shouldn't be any undue pressure on the cross-code star to immediately return to representative rugby league.

• COMMENT

Q: When does something good for rugby league have the potential to be bad for rugby league? A: When there is a perceived conflict of interest and the good of rugby league is not really a consideration for most people.

Jarryd Hayne's Eels reunion will be one of the most anticipated matches of 2017. But he won't be seen in Sydney if Parramatta align their draw with this season.

Jarryd Hayne's agent told Parramatta their offer was $500,000 a season short of the figure required to do a deal before the cross-code star sealed one with the Titans within a frantic eight-hour period.

Jarryd Hayne's return to the NRL will be music to the ears of all long-suffering NSW fans. But the Blues' incumbent No.1 warned the Titans recruit he has a fight on his hands for the fullback spot.