Jarryd Hayne has endorsed the concept of a Pacific Barbarians-style rugby league team.
The Fiji five-eighth backed the call of Tonga prop Andrew Fifita to have a combined Pacific Islands side included in future Four Nations tournaments, against New Zealand, Australia and England.
Hayne and Fifita were part of the Kangaroos team that won the 2013 Rugby League World Cup and are now among players from, so-called, tier-one nations opting to play for their country of heritage. Fifita said a team comprising Tonga, Fiji, and Samoa players would be a match for anyone and Hayne's a believer too.
"We're pretty much losing money, coming back to play for your island nation, but everyone enjoys it, everyone loves it and everyone would do it in a heartbeat," Hayne said ahead of Fiji's quarterfinal clash with New Zealand in Wellington on Saturday.
Fiji players, for instance, began the tournament on a daily allowance of $30. That's reportedly been bumped up to $100, thanks to the NRL.
The Kangaroos and Kiwis, meanwhile, are set to earn $50,000 in match payments alone.
It's little wonder teams such as Tonga and Fiji have played with so much passion during this event, because they really are playing for pride alone. And the satisfaction of tipping over the big boys, as Tonga did to New Zealand last Saturday, and Hayne believes a Pacific could do down the track.
"How good would that be? A Pacific test with all the islanders combined, playing either Australia or the Kiwis. You've seen what the Tongan fans were able to do with the atmosphere at Waikato [Stadium], it's been awesome and it's definitely got the attention of everyone back in Australia."
Hayne's one of those players who divide opinion and appeared before media on Thursday on the condition his Gold Coast Titans contract wasn't discussed. Stories persist that the two-time Dally M Medal winner will return to Parramatta, despite assurances to the contrary.
Since leaving the Eels after the 2014 season, Hayne's had a crack at the NFL, with the San Francisco 49ers, and a flirtation with sevens rugby. But he sounds like he's happiest where he is at the moment.
"One of the biggest things about coming back to the NRL was playing for the [Fiji] Bati again and going on tour and being around the group. It's very special being a part of this team," he said
Photo by: GETTY IMAGES. Caption: Fiji's Jarryd Hayne, left, tries to fend off Italy five-eighth Terry Campese.