NRL: Hoffman excited by Hayne

San Francisco 49ers' Jarryd Hayne stretches before facing the Denver Broncos in an NFL football scrimmage at the Broncos' headquarters. Photo / AP.

Jarryd Hayne's stunning NFL pre-season exploits have provided Ryan Hoffman with some respite from the Warriors grim late season predicament.

Fronting media yesterday, the back-rower eagerly asked what topics reporters wanted to discuss, suggesting his friend and former New South Wales State of Origin teammate's phenomenal rise through the ranks of the San Francisco 49ers was a good place to start.

The pair were joint winners of the Brad Fittler Medal last year, the award for the best NSW player during the Origin series, and Hoffman could not hide his excitement at what the former Parramatta Eels fullback has been able to achieve since quitting the NRL in mid-October last year.

"Have you got something new for me this week, fellas? What about Haynesey?" said Hoffman.

"I've been watching everything he does, to be quite honest. I was fortunate enough to have a chat to him at the third Origin and I could see right there and then that he was quite confident in his ability and quite confident that he had what it takes to mix it with the NFL guys.

"I've been a happy spectator and I'm quite proud to say that I've played with a bloke like that, who's backed his ability to go over there and become a bit of a small fish in a big pond, but to really try and grow and achieve his goals."

Hoffman never doubted Hayne's physical ability to handle the transition into a whole new sport, but like many, had reservations about how he would fare against almost life-long professionals born and raised on American Football.

The fact Hayne has not only held his own, but looked right at home as a returner and running back in his first two trial games against the Houston Texans and Dallas Cowboys, has seen him attract global media interest and left Hoffman hugely impressed.

"I was never sceptical of his ability but I was also a bit of a realist too, because you're going over to a place where a lot of these guys have been doing it since they were eight years old and come through professional systems like college football.

"So, what he's done, I'm not surprised by his physical capability, but it's learning the game too that I've been really impressed with."

When asked if any of his Warriors teammates could emulate Hayne's phenomenal sporting switch, Hoffman backed one of his fellow forwards to hold his own in the defensive line.

"There's plenty of good athletes here. Maybe a big bloke like Benny Matulino on the defensive end. A fast bloke, good hands. He could do the job."

Meanwhile, Hoffman expects Wests Tigers skipper Robbie Farah to be at his best in Sunday's match against the Warriors at Campbelltown Stadium, after the NSW Origin hooker was told on Wednesday that he was not wanted beyond this season.

Hoffman recalled Farah's Man of the Match performance against Queensland in game two of the 2012 series, when he defied critics with a record-breaking defensive effort that saw him make 64 tackles, as an example of his combative spirit.

"Faz is a fighter," he said. "The performance he put in Origin a few years ago is a perfect example from that.

"He knows these might be his last games in Tigers colours. I've known Robbie since we were 16 years old when we were in Wests Tigers system, so I know how much he has great pride in the club and I'm sure his performances over the next couple of games is certainly going to reflect that."