JARRYD Hayne’s decision to leave the NFL in pursuit of his dream to play rugby sevens for Fiji at the Olympics has sparked outrage in some corners.

“He just seems like a spoiled brat that needs to do everything,” I heard yesterday.

Sorry, but how is he being a spoiled brat? Why does it matter that he wants to chase his dreams?

He achieved a heck of a lot in the NRL. A two-time Dally M medallist, Hayne was a State of Origin series winner and competed on the grandest stage of them all.

When the opportunity arose to jet off to the United States and chase a spot on an NFL roster, he had the guts to take it.

He made it, and while the jury is out on whether or not he truly succeeded, he still achieved his dream of playing in the NFL.

This year he faced an uphill battle to make the San Francisco 49ers squad, and rather than bide his time on the practice squad, he took another gamble.

He wasn’t given the dreaded tap on the shoulder. Four players had recently been cut from the 49ers roster to reduce it to 90 players. There would be no further cuts until August.

He has left his short-lived NFL career behind in pursuit of an Olympic gold medal with Fiji.

Some have expressed anger at the fact Hayne’s possible inclusion in the Fijian squad for the Olympics will rob another player of a chance at a gold medal.

If Jarryd Hayne fits into Fiji’s best squad, then is he not deserving of his place? The person that misses out is clearly not in the best squad — keeping in mind Hayne might still be the person that misses out.

It draws parallels to the people that questioned Semi Radradra’s inclusion in the Australian Kangaroos side, suggesting that he was robbing an Australian-born player of the ultimate representative honour.

In selecting Radradra, Mal Meninga played within the rules. Radradra was eligible for selection, and deserved his spot as one of the premier wingers in the game.

My only gripe with Radradra’s selection was its implications on the international game. I was happy for the Eels flyer.

My problem was with international rugby league’s eligibility rules, which meant he would now not be able to represent Fiji should he miss Kangaroos selection (until he pledged his allegiance to Fiji again, if he was to do so).

Radradra earned his first Australian jersey because he was chosen as one of the best two wingers eligible.

So if Jarryd Hayne fits into Fiji’s best squad ahead of the Olympics, he deserves selection.

It’s that simple.

Caden Helmers is a regular contributor to The Crowd — follow his views on the latest sporting news which he posts as cadenhelmers