Black ignored his favourite side – who wanted Hayne – and shut down an attempt from the Eels to recapture their favourite son.

Black is the owner and founder of TripADeal, one of Australia's fastest growing companies. He poured in $400,000 to get Hayne. That figure is also his yearly commitment to the deal. Hayne will be a brand ambassador for a new offshoot company, Phone A Flight.

"This didn't happen overnight," Black said of the signing. "It started six months ago when I was starting to think about who we wanted to promote our product.

"I just thought there and then the person we need is Jarryd, the Hayne Plane. His story really inspired me.

"A friend of mine knew Brian Canavan, who was then the COO of the Titans, and I got in touch. He impressed me straight away and he also got a huge rap from David Gyngell [former Channel Nine chief executive], who I also know. I told him when the whole Rio dream was starting off that if there ever was a chance to be involved with Jarryd, I wanted in. If the club was going to have a crack at Jarryd, I'd be part of it. I just liked what he was about.

"I went and had a meeting with his agent, Wayne Beavis, and once I met him I was even more interested. I saw there was a genuine care, like a father for his son, and I thought I want to be involved with these guys and I want the region of the Northern Rivers to have a hero like Jarryd and a team to look up to in the Titans."

When Hayne didn't make the Rio Games he became an option for the Titans. But Parramatta were his first choice and they needed money.

Black's money was being talked about in football circles. Chris Orr, the manager of Eels coach Brad Arthur, heard about the interest from Black and made an approach. Black wasn't interested at all. "I wanted to help the Titans," Black said.

All this and he had never met Hayne. "I met him [Hayne] for the first time on Tuesday afternoon at [Titans chairwoman] Rebecca Frizelle's house. It was away from the cameras, microphones, all that kind of thing and I was so impressed with him as a young man. I listened to him talk and I thought if my kids grow up to be that kind of person I'd be really proud. What really sealed it for me was he said to me, 'I'm just going crazy, I want to get out there, I just want to play league'.

"And I could see his pain about Parramatta but, to be honest, it was more about his mates, especially Tim [Mannah]. He didn't want to let him down. I talked to him about that and said that if I had an employee that had that bond like that I explained that it would be understandable if the environment had changed ... You wouldn't want someone to be loyal to his own detriment and I think he got that, but I did love his loyalty.

"Also I was really impressed that at no point did Beavis or Jarryd say to me, 'How about a bit more?'

That was never a conversation. That fitted the respect I got from everyone at the club, from [club boss] Graham Annesley down."

It's a long way back for Foran

If you haven't sat down and read the jaw-dropping exclusive story by Fairfax Media's investigative reporter Kate McClymont regarding the Manly-Parramatta game in round seven, I suggest you do. She broke the yarn wide open on Friday after months of rumours about an $18,000 bet placed by an associate of an NRL player.

Her report forced Manly to reveal their findings about two other matches that were mired in fixing allegations. Manly were going to release that report today.

The detail in McClymont's story is staggering and it paints a picture of Kieran Foran that will be very hard to erase; simply because of the circles he is mixing in.

When I put it to Foran via text that he had somehow benefited from the trail of bets on horse racing and football by some of his associates he texted back: "Not true".

The issue now for Foran is clearing his name, which has been smeared. And it's not just the public who would want answers. The NRL is now on high alert. They will want answers IF Foran ever hopes to play football again. His now very public relationship with Eddie Hayson and others has placed him on the radar of the NRL.

Foran's immediate future doesn't look like it contains professional sport. He has been investigating other employment options, including a goat's milk business and working in retail. He has to find a way to support his two young kids and former partner, all while battling mental illness.

This column wishes him the best as he tries to turn his life around. His ex-partner, Rebecca Pope, clearly feels the same way about the company he is keeping, posting a picture on Instagram of a passage from a book. It read: "The people we surround ourselves with either raise or lower our standards. They either help us to become the best version of ourselves or encourage us to become lesser versions of ourselves ... No man becomes great on his own. No woman becomes great on her own. The people around them help to make them great."

Under further scrutiny: Kieran Foran. Photo: Getty Images

When push comes to shove, there's no consistency

The folly of Tyson Frizell's suspension for touching a referee was swamped by Jarryd Hayne mania. Watching the incident closely you see that Frizell is touched by the referee first, and then Frizell clearly touches the referee.

A sharp viewer of the game made us aware of an incident involving Bulldogs skipper James Graham in the same match. Graham is in close proximity to referee Chris James and then is pushed by the referee. It appears they make contact again after that.

I'm not suggesting it is Graham's fault, by any stretch, but the incident worried Graham enough for him to approach the referee.

"I bumped into you ...," Graham said. "I didn't know you were there."

James replied: "I didn't hurt you, did I?"

Graham: "No. As long as we are on the same page."

James: "We are sweet mate."

As a result, Graham took his place in the Bulldogs side that played Newcastle on Saturday.

Deal of a lifetime

There has been a lot of hullabaloo about the so-called "lifetime" contract Jarryd Hayne committed to when he left the Eels to have a crack at the NFL. His agent, Wayne Beavis, cleared that up in this column months ago, saying it never existed, and made the point again to me during the week.

"There is no such thing," he said. "How do you put terms on that? It's just not something that happened."

The NRL certainly has no lifetime contract registered for Hayne.

Feeling the chill: Jarryd Hayne arrives for Titans training on Thursday. Photo: Getty Images

Suit's his style

Hayne's media conference was full of fire directed towards the Eels, but it was what he was wearing – or wasn't wearing – that got people's attention. There was plenty of comment about his smart appearance, but he wasn't wearing a Titans polo shirt. Hayne was offered one, but felt he presented a better look in his suit.

You'd have to think it was a fresh purchase as Hayne trekked up to the Gold Coast on Tuesday with no real intention of staying that night. He hasn't been home since and has been shopping up a storm. He was wearing a hoodie at his first training session and was none too impressed with the weather on the Gold Coast.

Pearce movement

It is that the time of year where we start thinking about end-of-season Australian teams, and there are some good judges saying Mitchell Pearce is looming as a smokey for the Kangaroos tour.

Johnathan Thurston and Cooper Cronk pick themselves, but after that, Pearce must be a contender. James Maloney was excellent for the Blues and would be an obvious choice as a backup, but it's known Mal Meninga is a Pearce fan.

The likes of Ben Hunt and Anthony Milford have gone backwards and Daly Cherry-Evans just can't combine with Thurston.

Island state

Sharks skipper Paul Gallen was given a week off by Shane Flanagan to recharge his batteries – a great idea that was rewarded with a typically brutal effort from Gallen against the Titans. The only problem was the Gallen family's Fiji break wasn't anywhere near as stress-free as it could have been.

The first drama Gallen encountered was his credit card being cancelled because of fraud. It was being used by someone in London. The credit card company could only get him a new card four days after he was due home. Fortunately the resort allowed him and his family to put everything on his room and settle it later.

The bigger drama was his baby daughter took a nasty spill – she damaged her lip and needed stitches. Life is easier in the Shire.

Eternity ring

Michael Ennis lost his wedding ring at Shark Park after a recent game. The Cronulla rake has come up with a permanent solution: the name of his wife, Simone, tattooed on his ring finger.

Family man: Michael Ennis. Photo: John Veage

GI's star billing

Greg Inglis is a very bankable commodity. And he was spotted at The Coast Golf Club proving that point, shooting a commercial with none other than Cathy Freeman.

Empty gesture

Driving home from the club after the Panthers' loss to the Warriors, the normally sure-footed Matt Moylan was 200 metres from home when he ran out of petrol. A rescue call to his brother led to a ride to the closest servo to save the day.

Danny Weidler is a Nine reporter.