Jackson Hastings

Former Roosters and Sea Eagles halfback Jackson Hastings has expressed his interest in returning to the NRL, opening up on his past misdemeanours in an in-depth interview with The Daily Telegraph's Fatima Kdouh.

Hastings left Australia in 2018 to join English side Salford, singing a two-year deal with the Red Devils prior to a move to Wigan ahead of the 2020 season.

The 25-year-old won the Man of Steel award in 2019 with Salford as the Super League's best player and has thrived in his 62 matches abroad.

The St George Illawarra junior made his NRL debut with the Roosters in 2014 before a move to Manly three years later.

In 2018, Hastings had a falling out with Sea Eagles star Daly Cherry-Evans and then-Manly coach Trent Barrett and was eventually released of his contract at Brookvale.

Speaking to Kdouh, Hastings revealed it has always been in his sights to return to Australia, where he hopes to make amends of his ugly exit.

"The plan was always to eventually come back to Australia and hopefully get a deal to play in the NRL," Hastings said.

"Australia is home, but this is where I didn’t fulfil my potential. I’d love to come back and change people’s perception of me, everyone knows what note I left on.

"I want people to know the real Jackson Hastings, not the person they saw four or five years ago."

Hastings revealed he holds no grudges for his time spent at Bondi given the mounting expectations laid on him at an early age.

"I was a young kid that had a lot of expectations and I probably believed those expectations before the expectations became reality," he said.

"I have no hard feelings towards the club. The Roosters are a club that demands success.

"There‘s no bad blood between me and the Roosters at all. I still watch them when they’re on, they’re the team I supported as a kid."

Now five years on from his departure from the Roosters, Hastings is hoping for a clean slate in a return to the NRL and is willing to take any chance that comes his way.

"You only need one club to show interest in," he said.

"I’m not too bothered if the club’s been coming last or coming first. All I want to do is fit into a culture and earn the respect of the playing group that’s there, the coaching staff also.

"But then secondly, just being able to fit in and play the style of footy that’s going to make myself and hopefully that club successful."

It was revealed last month that Hastings was unsure on his playing future, with Wests Tigers linked to the polarising playmaker.