Jarryd Hayne knew he had a giant task to play in the NFL, but rugby sevens experts warn that's nothing compared to making Fiji's team for August's Rio Olympics.
They say Hayne only needs to look at the struggles of Quade Cooper and Sonny Bill Williams, who both had a major headstart by boasting rugby union experience, to know the overwhelming difficulties ahead.
Former rugby league superstar Hayne produced the second great shock of his sporting career on Monday (AEST) when he declared he was quitting the NFL after being invited to try for a spot on the crack Fiji sevens team for the Olympics.
For all his talent, Australia's current and past rugby sevens coaches just can't see Hayne breaking into Fiji's world champion team in time for Rio with just one world series event left - in London - this week.
Dual international Michael O'Connor, who coached Australia's sevens team for six seasons, says Hayne doesn't have the time to adapt to the game, let alone develop the aerobic capacity needed for the gut-busting sport.
He believes favourites Fiji would be gambling with their hopes of claiming the historic first Olympic sevens gold medal by picking Hayne.
"It would just be a huge risk because he hasn't played sevens," O'Connor told AAP.
"Look at Sonny Bill Williams who has devoted his whole life (this year) to make Rio. And it's not as though he's really standing out."
Williams has sacrificed Super Rugby and the All Blacks in 2016 to learn sevens and is likely to make New Zealand's 12-man squad as a bench player, while Cooper was discarded by Australian coach Andy Friend after just two tournaments.
While Hayne may turn out for leaders Fiji in the final World Series tournament in London this weekend, O'Connor believes their highly-regarded coach, Ben Ryan, would be reluctant to break from players who have made the island nation the best in the world.
"Hayne would certainly bring an x-factor but that's the thing about Fiji, they all have x-factor - every single one of them," he said.
"Picking him would be giving (major rivals) a huge head start."
Friend said his shocked squad greeted Hayne's latest code switch with shaking heads, and claimed the former Parramatta NRL fullback was no chance of playing in Rio.
"Quade Cooper is a good footballer and there are other blokes who are good footballers who tried to make the transition across and it's taken those guys three or four tournaments to try and work the game out," Friend told Brisbane's Triple M radio.
"Especially with a nation like Fiji who are phenomenal footballers and they grow up on the game of sevens, to think a bloke like Jarryd is going to walk in and take one of those spots blows my mind to be honest."
Like O'Connor and Friend, New Zealand coach Gordon Tietjens said he was blindsided by the move and indicated if Hayne didn't play in London this weekend then he could have no realistic Olympic hopes.
Ryan, who met Hayne with the Fiji team at the Sydney sevens in February, says he will consider playing him at Twickenham - but there will be no guarantees.
"I have no promises he is going to make the 12, but we will see how he goes," Ryan said.
"He will then come into Fijian camp for the Olympic period.
"It is a huge challenge for Jarryd but if he gets into the squad it is only going to be on form, because he is a blinding rugby player."
Hayne, a hero on the Pacific island, has often talked about his deep connection to Fiji and his life-changing experience with the national team at the 2008 Rugby League World Cup.
He is set to fly to London in the next 24 hours to link with Ryan's team after announcing his shock retirement from the NFL on Monday morning (AEST).
"The Olympics has been something I have admired since I was a little boy, and it is an opportunity I feel very similar to me joining the NFL," Hayne said in a statement.
But that dream may also be clouded by drug testing requirements and the NFL doesn't adhere to the WADA code.
Former ASADA boss Richard Ings has said World Rugby rules require players to be in a registered testing pool for six months to be eligible to compete at sanctioned competitions.
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