Jarryd Hayne will be an NFL player by the end of this week but has already been rewarded before strapping on a helmet in anger.  Hayne will announce his team in the coming days – he is making a final decision on offers from the Detroit Lions, Seattle Seahawks and the San Francisco 49ers. Hayne walked away from $9 million and millions more in endorsements over the remainder of his time with the Eels – but has already hit the jackpot with a massive new corporate deal with Telstra that has the potential to make the gamble worth it – even if he struggles to make the transition.

The deal will give Hayne a much-needed financial buffer as he chases his dream – and tries to make a success of one of the greatest code switches ever seen. Hayne's agent, Wayne Beavis, has been working overtime both on Hayne's USA deal and this Telstra contract. Under the agreement, Telstra will own the vision that Hayne has been filming with a documentary crew over the past few months and they will have access to all of his movements. From this column's understanding the deal's value will increase as Hayne's success grows.

Matthew McCann, Telstra's general manager of media and sponsorship, said: "We have a proud history of supporting Australia's best athletes as they take on the world.  There's no better example of an athlete doing just that than former NRL star Jarryd Hayne ...  We're excited to announce Jarryd has joined Team Telstra as an official ambassador, in a partnership that will give our customers a unique and exclusive look at his remarkable journey. Telstra has had a long association with Jarryd during his time as an NRL player for the Parramatta Eels, the NSW Blues and the Australian Kangaroos. We're excited to now be part of Jarryd's next chapter as he makes a tilt at NFL, and hope you're excited to join us in cheering him on."

Hayne won't make his decision purely based on the short-term, instead he's looking for which team will suit his long-term development.

Manly muddle

If Manly want to keep Daly-Cherry Evans at the club, a simple first step is necessary – they need to sit him and Brett Stewart down and let them work through their differences. Depending on who you talk to, the pair either don't communicate or do so grudgingly for only team reasons.  It's no secret Manly were a divided team last year – and the treatment of Glenn Stewart was the heart of the problem.

The non-offer to Glenn Stewart followed by the voluntary departure of Sea Eagles great Anthony Watmough was the direct result. How Geoff Toovey held the team together was one of the great achievements of last season. The problem is still lingering – because Brett Stewart wasn't allowed to leave and because Cherry-Evans is still at the club.

The issue stems back to a threat from Cherry-Evans at his last contract upgrade that he wouldn't train with the side unless he got the money. Whether he said it – or it was a thought planted by his management – it was a taken as gospel by the senior playing group and the split began.

Without saying who is to blame, it's fair to say something must be done to smooth the path. The problem is Cherry-Evans isn't winning any friends at the club by courting other teams, but he has to look after himself – or more importantly his young family.

Brett Stewart is a club legend and he has had his best pre-season in years. It followed a spectacular finish to the season where he was close to untouchable. Clearly Stewart is a professional and Cherry-Evans was good enough to handle the internal heat and still be selected for Australia and Queensland. Whether he feels the situation between the two can be resolved or he is happy to ride through the drama and co-exist with Stewart is up to him.

The situation with Kieran Foran is less complicated. Foran has nothing but friends at Manly, and is one of the most respected players in the NRL. His issue is not money – it's long-term success.

He wants to play in a side that can win competitions; the money can look after itself. Foran will compare what Manly have to offer only with successful clubs – such as the Roosters and the Bulldogs – or a team with potential to be something, like the Eels. What he has to comprehend and is too modest to ever admit is that wherever he goes that club will be successful.

Manly's challenge will be to show Foran what he is going to be surrounded by and who is staying and why they will be strong. They've lost key players – not just Glenn Stewart and Watmough. The likes of Jason King and Brent Kite have left as well.  Ironically it may be an easier decision for Foran to stay if Cherry-Evans does. But from what this column gets told, the two are making decisions without knowing what the other is doing.

Unfair to Pup ...

Michael Clarke was strongly criticised in some quarters for travelling to Brisbane on his own  before the World Cup clash with Bangladesh. The same old lines were trotted out – Clarke is above the team and he is selfish. The only problem with the snipes is that they were unjustified. All the players flew in from their home states – Clarke travelled with Shane Watson – the pair wanted to train. The other NSW-based players didn't want to do the extra work. Clarke isn't the type to get annoyed by the attacks. Instead, he will use the latest round of slaps as further motivation.

... and Merrin too

Trent Merrin is entitled not to put in for the Dragons this year but his pride and competitive nature are far too strong to allow that to happen. Merrin has been painted as greedy and unappreciative by his club for ignoring its "biggest-ever offer". In truth, it was a long way from that. Sure, it was more than $500,000 a year but the offer was not in the spirit of what Merrin, his agent Wayne Beavis and the club had set out to achieve. And Merrin was viewed by his teammates as a future leader. At 25, and with 10 Origin games under his belt and 10 years at the club from the juniors up, he appeared to be a moral certainty to lock down. But you would have thought  Brett and Josh Morris would never have been allowed to leave either. Merrin has already knocked back more than $800,000 a year to play for the Warriors, so clearly he is not driven by dollars. The whispering campaign being driven by the Dragons should not be given credibility.

Gallen on track

Cronulla and NSW skipper Paul Gallen is set to launch a range of G-Train T-shirts and hats.  They will be available at the Sharks' fan day today and also through the club's website.  The G-Train nickname has really come to light since Beau Ryan made Gallen the subject of skits on The Footy Show.  "Beau likes to claim it was his nickname for me," Gallen said.  "But actually, I started calling myself the G-Train when I was on the drink with the 2009 Australian side. Sammy Thaiday didn't let me forget it and it's been around since then."

Leave Willie alone

Doing some research on Willie Mason and his battle with the Integrity Unit unearthed the following. In 2006, Mason was in strife for antisocial behaviour in Bondi. His crime: wrestling his big brother Les at the Bondi Hotel – the same thing he is in strife for nine years later. The thing with Mason is that his reputation as a bad boy is so much worse than anything he has done. Public urination outside the Sheaf Hotel in Double Bay is about as bad as it gets. Mason is one of the last remaining characters in the NRL and does so much more to promote the game than harm it. If all he has done is wrestle Les at the Auckland Nines, the NRL is wasting its time trying to make a statement in this case.

Inglis needs respect or he may join defectors

This column told you last year Greg Inglis was being hunted down by international rugby  – and now that interest will result in a showdown with Dave Smith.

Toulon, the French team where Sonny Bill Williams played, have been on the hunt for Inglis for a while now and the more he says no, the more money they throw at him to switch.

Inglis is doing himself no favours financially by staying loyal to Souths and the NRL. And this is where the situation gets tricky for the NRL. Inglis will be in the position to table a range of offers that will blow Souths' contract out of the water.

Cue Smith and his barrel-full of cash. Smith has endured Williams, Jarryd Hayne and Sam Burgess finding better things to do than play in the NRL.

Losing Inglis would be a disaster. When Smith disclosed his powers to throw money at leaving players or even players in another code it was hailed by many as a masterstroke. But the players who are loyal and who have not got the option of an overseas exit were anything but impressed.

The players believe that instead of stashing away those Smith dollars, the largesse should be given to current players. Inglis has the potential to be a  test case.

He is by nature easy-going, but if he is not given the respect he has earned by the NRL, they may have an issue. Inglis is happy at Souths – he loves that he is skipper and as a new dad he is enjoying the lifestyle that playing for Souths affords him.

Eventually he probably will settle in Brisbane – but what happens in between may depend on Smith. It has the potential to lead to an embarrassing situation for the game. The NRL doesn't need Inglis even threatening a walkout.