A third trial is set to begin today against former NRL star Jarryd Hayne, who has pleaded not guilty to sexually assaulting a woman on the 2018 NRL grand final night.
The former Parramatta Eels great, who faces two counts of sexual assault without consent, has always denied the allegations.
A jury is expected to be empanelled at the NSW District Court at 10am, with the trial expected to begin later today.
That follows a week of pre-trial hearings.
Former NRL star Jarryd Hayne and his spouse Amellia Bonnici. Picture: NCA Newswire/Gaye Gerard
Hayne, 35, faced his first trial in Newcastle in 2020, but the jury could not reach a verdict.
After he was found guilty in a second trial in March 2021, the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal quashed the conviction and ordered a retrial.
Hayne with his lawyer Margaret Cunneen. NCA NewsWire/David Swift
Hayne made his NRL debut in 2006 and played 214 games between Parramatta and the Gold Coast.
He then took on eight games in the NFL with the San Francisco 49ers, before his career came crashing down.
At his peak, Hayne virtually guided Parramatta himself to the 2009 Grand Final — only to lose to the Melbourne Storm, who were later stripped of the premiership due to salary cap breaches.
He married his wife Amelia Bonnici in January 2021 and has two children.