Off-contract Titans star Jarryd Hayne is entitled to look at every overseas offer that comes his way, but he has a $400,000 incentive to stay put on the Gold Coast, where he has an option to extend his contract.
Hayne's personal sponsor, Norm Black, the owner of TripADeal, has told this column that the money is on the table for Hayne.
"We are prepared to put in the same amount that we put in this year," Black said. "We have budgeted for Jarryd next year and we want to sponsor him again. He has been great for this company and I'd have no hesitation in putting in money to be his personal backer again. We want to be with the Titans.
"I saw the comment he [Hayne] made about looking around, [but] ... he also loves it here on the Gold Coast. Anyone in any walk of life would be silly not to consider offers. I've talked to Jarryd and he is happy here and life agrees with him.
"What else he said is that he really likes the look of this football team — he is genuinely excited. He said there is a real buzz about this team."
Black has spent time with Hayne in the off-season and says he has noticed a significant change in him.
"He has matured and there is no secret that being a father has played a big role in that," Black said. "He has a different outlook and I'm not the only one who noticed that. It's no secret that in the past Jarryd was considered to be a poor trainer. Well, the club has noticed a big change in that.
"He has really bought in to what the team is doing and what the coach wants. He's shown signs that he knows that at this point in his career that the penny has dropped and he has seen these kids in his side and what they are doing.
"He has to keep up and he's doing that. I think he is showing great leadership qualities and that will come out this year."
Facing shocking allegations: Semi Radradra. Photo: Getty Images
Park football: How Semi went from superstar to sleeping rough
When it comes to falls from grace, there have been few bigger than the one Semi Radradra has inflicted upon himself. This column has learnt he was sleeping in a park near his house as his life spiralled out of control last year.
Semi was a favourite with Eels fans and so many outside the club. When he took off for Fiji in June, telling mates he was not coming back, it masked his problems at home. Women were his weakness and his actions towards them may be his downfall. The domestic violence allegations against him are shocking. While a charge of assault causing actual bodily harm was withdrawn in court on Monday, he has a long way to go to clear his name.
The NRL is rightly giving him his day in court, but if Semi is guilty of common assault there is a strong argument he should be banished even if he wants to return to the NRL after his French rugby stint.
In the meantime, his life is a mess. At the height of the drama he didn't want to bother friends and chose a park over a couch.
Bennett the man to nurture Foran
The next challenge that Jim Doyle and the Warriors face now that Kieran Foran is back in the game is keeping him in New Zealand. Assuming Foran gets close to producing what he's capable of, he will be a man in demand.
Foran has a one-year deal with the Warriors and, while Auckland is a great place for him to get his life back on track, it's not perfect for his role as a father – something he takes very seriously. When he gets his chance to tell his story, a large part of it will revolve around his need to be a success in the eyes of his children.
Foran flew to Noosa last weekend to spend time with his children in a holiday environment. He has really made an effort to reconnect with his kids and they are loving spending time with their dad. Foran has maintained throughout his personal ordeal that he has done nothing wrong when it comes to football. And that's the argument Doyle put forward to the NRL during their discussions.
Doyle backed Foran and has staked his own reputation on the former Sea Eagles and Eels half being able to right everything that is wrong in his world. Now Doyle will be looking for loyalty.
But family will come first for Foran. In an ideal world, he would be playing for a team in Sydney where his children live. He's been linked to the Bulldogs countless times, but that allows negative elements to be near him. If you scour the competition and look for a good fit, you would have noticed the just-out-of-town Dragons, but they have signed Ben Hunt from next season.
Which leaves the Broncos looking for a half, and they were prepared to spend more than $800,000 a season to keep Hunt. Brisbane is not too far from Foran's kids and you could not ask for a better man to mentor him than Wayne Bennett. What he has done for Darius Boyd is quite remarkable.
It feels like it would be a good solution for everyone, bar the Warriors.
What Foran needs is to act fast. He split from agents Paul Sutton and George Mimis last year. Sutton is a long-time friend of Foran, and Mimis has been there every step of the way in the tough times and they are still the best people to steer his career, if he decides the Warriors are not the best place for him.
Plenty of options: Des Hasler. Photo: Getty Images
Des' Ray of hope
The talk coming out of Belmore is that since Christmas, Bulldogs coach Des Hasler has been treated with the respect he deserves, including regular breakfast meetings with chairman Ray Dibb. The pair appear to have resurrected their relationship.
The Dogs seem to have softened their stance on Hasler. But the whole situation is quite bizarre when late last year the club was prepared to offer Hasler a contract worth – with incentives – about $1.5 million a season. Then performance clauses were tossed at him that gave the Dogs the right to turf him out if the targets were not met. That level of volatility is hard to fathom.
The Bulldogs know they handled the Hasler situation poorly, but there are still some members of the club who would be happy to see the back of him. Hasler hasn't entered dialogue with the Dragons, but if things don't work out at Canterbury the Dragons will be a genuine option for a multiple premiership-winning coach – if Paul McGregor doesn't survive.
As Crowe flies
Russell Crowe has been selling plenty of assets in recent times, but he has given Souths no indication he is thinking of offloading his beloved Rabbits. In fact, his decision to bring Shane Richardson back to the club indicates just the opposite.
Richardson would not have returned to Redfern without the knowledge that Crowe was going to be at the club for some time. Crowe flew out of Australia this week, but not before organising a dinner for the entire team at China Doll at Woolloomooloo on Wednesday night. Souths have a different feel to them this year and, in good news for their fans, they have decided to be more open with the media after reviewing their approach in recent times.
Captains pick
The 16 NRL club captains will converge on Sydney soon for the season launch. It is part of an agreement NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg struck with Storm skipper Cam Smith during the Four Nations tour. Greenberg is determined to work more closely with the players. They will have a forum on Thursday morning (before the launch in Martin Place) where they will talk about issues such as changes to the bunker and the judiciary, the state of the game and awards.
There is speculation of a player revolt over the collective bargaining agreement and the salary cap, but all 16 team leaders will attend.
Greenberg insists in all his strategies that the players should come first. He's determined to show it and this will be the first of more forums where captains can tell the boss how they want the game run.
Money talks
Australian Rugby League Commission chairman John Grant might have bought himself some extra time by giving the clubs all the cash they wanted, but you need to wonder about the true cost of his decision.
Grant has saved his bacon and the clubs are chirpy and rolling in cash. But the problem is going to come when talks start for the next TV deal. Many in the game are concerned that the huge dollars won't be there again. And then the players will be screaming that their new big salaries won't be going up – or won't be paid.
Word is Grant has a tense relationship with some at NRL HQ these days. It's fair to say that Greenberg and Grant have a professional relationship that is hanging on, but many worry about the legacy Grant will leave.
One of the originals: Wiggles star Greg Page (yellow). Photo: Supplied
Watto and Wiggle
Shane Watson is still making a great living on the Twenty20 circuit, but he is starting to make plans for life after cricket. Watson, his wife Lee and Wiggle Greg Page have teamed up to launch a children's sports clinic called Let's Activate aimed at two- to six-year-olds. Page has developed the music, songs and dance for the clinic.
"Kids learn from music and we have a pretty simple goal: to teach kids the basics of sport from a young age," Lee said. "It's really the basics: catching, throwing, all of that."
Danny Weidler is a reporter with Channel Nine.
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