Hayward bound: Aussie star rewriting family’s drug-tainted legacy
Rising Aussie footie star Bailey Hayward may be making headlines on the field for the right reasons but his surname carries a history that once made headlines for all the wrong reasons. Hayward is proudly forging a new chapter in a family saga steeped in both sporting brilliance and a harrowing criminal past.
The footy star is turning heads in the Australian National Rugby League (NRL) for all the right reasons but for long-time rugby league fans, the Hayward name brings back memories of one of the sport’s most infamous and tragic tales.
The 23 year old Canterbury Bulldogs halfback is the grandson of Paul Hayward, the gifted Newtown Jets five-eighth whose promising career was shattered by a drug smuggling scandal that landed him in Thailand’s notorious Bang Kwang prison – the so-called Bangkok Hilton.
Paul was a gritty player and an accomplished boxer, even selected for the 1976 Montreal Olympics before turning his talents to rugby league. But his story took a dark turn in 1978 when he was arrested in Bangkok with a staggering 8.4 kilogrammes of heroin.
He was sentenced to 20 years and spent 11 inside one of the world’s toughest prisons, enduring unimaginable conditions before receiving a royal pardon in 1989.
His downfall was inextricably linked to one of Australia’s most notorious underworld figures, Neddy Smith, a convicted murderer and armed robber. Hayward, it turns out, was Smith’s brother-in-law. Fellow inmate and convicted smuggler Warren Fellows claimed it was Smith who orchestrated the ill-fated heroin deal.
Bailey, who made his NRL debut in 2024, is aware of his family’s complicated past but his focus is firmly on the future, reported the Sydney Morning Herald.
“I don’t know too much about him beyond what I’ve been told. But it is a proud past for us, him playing for Newtown. I’ve only heard good things about him as a fella.”
Bailey’s own rise has been anything but scandalous, marked instead by humility, talent, and a steely work ethic. After starring in the Jersey Flegg competition and representing Scotland at the Rugby League World Cup, the young half finally cracked the top grade this season.
“It’s been surreal, the past few weeks. Making my NRL debut is what you dream of as a kid. I’m just trying to train hard and make the most of every opportunity.”
His leadership qualities have also caught attention within the Bulldogs camp. During a 2023 army-style pre-season bootcamp run by elite tactical officers, Bailey’s name was listed unanimously as a standout leader, even before he’d played a first-grade game.
“Every single one of them wrote down Bailey Hayward’s name,” said coach Cameron Ciraldo. “That was a real peek into what we’re seeing now on the paddock.”
With Origin star Matt Burton sidelined in recent weeks, Bailey has stepped up at five-eighth, showing off his defensive grit, pinpoint kicking game, and ice-cool temperament. But his path to the NRL wasn’t always so certain.
At 18 years old, Bailey briefly walked away from footy and took a job as a surveyor, only to realise how much he missed the game.
“That little break was good for me. I missed it quickly and realised straight away that footy was what I always wanted to do.”
Sport clearly runs in the family. Bailey’s sister Paige Hayward is making waves of her own, playing professional football in the A-League Women after a successful college career in the United States.
“She’s always kicking goals. She wanted to play league when she was younger, but Dad wouldn’t let her.”
The Hayward family’s journey is one of triumph over adversity. Bailey’s grandmother, Gail, raised three children alone while Paul languished in prison.
“It was tough for Nan too, but she’s played a massive part in not just my footy career, but my life as well. She never missed a game. I’m very proud of her and very grateful.”
Paul’s time in Bang Kwang was brutal. Held in cramped concrete cells shared with up to 35 men, with only straw mats and a bucket for a toilet, he clung to sanity through sheer willpower and hope of seeing his family again.
“I often think I’m going mad,” Paul told Rugby League Week during a prison interview. “But when I get really depressed I tell myself, ‘don’t crack up, you can do it.’”
He dreamed of seeing his wife and children again, including his daughter Belinda, born after his arrest. Hayward and Fellows both claimed they were falsely accused of possessing heroin inside prison, which extended their sentences.
“I know I’ve done wrong, I know it,” Hayward said at the time. “But it’s not fair on my family.”
He was eventually released as part of King Bhumibol’s 60th birthday royal pardon celebrations. But sadly, Paul died just three years later in 1992 at 38 years old, after overdosing on heroin at his family home.
Now, decades later, Bailey is determined to give the Hayward name a new meaning: one of redemption, resilience, and hope.
Canterbury club legend Josh Reynolds, who came through the same St George junior club, praised Bailey’s rise.
“It’s been a long time since the Bulldogs had a crop of local juniors, but guys like Bailey are changing that.”
Bailey knows the weight of the past, but he doesn’t shy away from it.
“It was a famous story but I wasn’t alive for it.”
Instead, he’s focused on the road ahead, for himself and for a club rebuilding its identity around local pride, grit, and spirit.
And just like Paul once did in that iconic Newtown Bluebag jersey, Bailey is ensuring that the Hayward name stands for something powerful, not just toughness on the field, but resilience off it.
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