A number of very influential figures are starting a push to install Gyngell as chairman. "It's a no-brainer," said one well-connected type - not a club boss - who has the influence to make things happen. Available: David Gyngell stood down as the CEO of Channel Nine last week. Credit:Louie Douvis It's a very tough process to oust Grant – and with strong support from Queensland he'd have to give his role up. It takes a brave man to come forward and express his view when the chairman is hard to squeeze out. "David Gyngell is the perfect person to be the chairman of the game and the sooner it happens for the game, the better," said Panthers general manager Phil Gould. "He understands the fans, he understands the game and he understands the business of the game. And he is a passionate football fan who actually loves the game and respects those who play it. It would be a mistake not to involve him at the highest level as soon as possible."

Be sure Gyngell would be open to the idea of being on the commission. He would be able to make a difference without being in the public eye. That's how he likes it, but those who know him well say he could be tempted by the chairman's role. Top of the league The first inkling that Sam Burgess was certainly quitting rugby union reached my ears out of the Red and Green Ball. Rabbitohs chairman Nick Pappas was aware of the news and told his inner sanctum. That was about four weeks ago. By that point Burgess and his partner Phoebe Hooke had decided they were going to have tanned babies who would grow up loving the Bunnies, not Bath. Burgess will marry his sweetheart at Christmas time and knew he had to make the move for the pair of them. Phoebe opened up about the struggle they went through when the couple touched down.

She said the reasons were manifold. "It's the family factor, he misses league, he misses playing 80 minutes, we miss our families, we miss having mum and dad around the corner," she said. "You saw the positive energy when we came back home, everyone is excited to see us, that's what it's about, our families." It was impossible to understand the Blame Burgess hashtag or those who labelled his time a failure. He became a dual international in the space of a year. And he was used so sparingly he could not have lost England anything. "The hardest part was watching the person you love working so hard to achieve what he did and I thought it was so positive and I was so proud of him," Phoebe added. "He made the World Cup, he played fantastically and if you break his game down he was fantastic and he contributed where he was supposed to contribute." Happy couple: Sam Burgess and Phoebe Hooke. Credit:Getty Images

Phoebe is a journalist by trade, but she was not proud of her profession when her man was on the end of a ridiculous barrage. "I could not believe how the press attacked him," she said. "I've never seen anything like it. It was vicious. I tried to put the blinkers on and not take much notice but it's hard not to see it and it's hard not to feel something. Sam is amazing, he doesn't take it personally, but it does start to eat away at you when you can't really give any more." Even though he is English, it was the time in his motherland that made him realise how good he had it here. "The Rabbitohs family and the fans have made it so easy for us to come back," Phoebe said. "There was never any pressure from anyone. And we can't wait to get back with them and get on with the NRL season." And even though Burgess was wearing plenty – part of him wanted to prove his critics wrong – more than that he didn't want to ditch his teammates. "It was a tough decision for Sam, he doesn't want to let anyone down," Phoebe said. "I think there was the feeling of letting his teammates down, not so much the sport or anything greater than that. He just didn't want to let his teammates down. He didn't want to let the boys he spent so much time with down. He really did want to get in there and change a lot but it's a different sport and a different culture and he aligns better with a rugby league culture." Cleary in sights

The rebirth of Nathan Brown as a first-grade coach means the Blues are down a key assistant. Word is that Ivan Cleary, the axed Panthers coach, will have a role. It would be the ideal way for him to keep his hand in the game and clear his head. The only hitch will be if he lands a top job in the meantime – still a distinct possibility. New starts You want proof that playing in the NRL is a business? Exactly 24 hours before Sam Burgess hit town Glenn Stewart, the man Souths signed to replace Burgess, slipped out of Australia on his way to France to start his new career with Catalans without a camera in sight. What was the first thing that Sam did after dealing with the media at the airport and catching up with Phoebe's family? The couple went straight to Westfield Bondi Junction to buy phones. They've come back with nothing. Along with buying a house in Bath, it's proof that Sam was in rugby for the long haul. Matthew Lodge, pictured with his father in New York. Credit:Ellen Connolly

Troubles mount Matthew Lodge made headlines a few weeks ago after being charged with a string of offences in New York. His life is only getting worse. He has slipped into depression and has had to deal with health issues with his father James, who had flown to the United States to be by his son's side. James was admitted to hospital but has since been released. To say the family is hurting is a massive understatement. Both parents are in the police force and his mum has now flown to New York to look after her son and her husband. They are currently in a "house stay" as he awaits hearing of his case. Lodge and his dad have two weeks to find new accommodation. Price of love Tim Mannah paid a visit to his close mate Jarryd Hayne in the United States – and tried his best not to do what everyone else was doing and buy a Hayne jumper. "But then I saw one for half price and couldn't help myself," Mannah said.

Cash crunch on as stars hit market With the re-emergence of Sam Burgess, the sound you can hear in the background is NRL teams furiously crunching their numbers. Firstly – and with more certainty – to squeeze Dylan Walker into their 2016 rosters. Walker has been offered to a number of clubs. His asking price is not cheap: he is after about $500,000 a season. On potential he is worth close to that, but he had a lean 2015, obviously hampered by his hand injury. His agent Allan Gainey has been overseas on holiday and will be back this week to work out a release and future team for Walker. Manly are still very keen and if they are forced to backend his deal it would appear to be less of a risk on a player with so many years left in the game. But the bigger and ongoing story is that clubs are looking at ways that they can afford Jarryd Hayne. My information is that there have been clubs who have had a quiet word or two to the NRL to discover the amount they could pay Hayne to remain inside the salary cap.

Up in the air: Dylan Walker of the Rabbitohs. Credit:Getty Images They'd be scared to learn that Parramatta has him in the cap for close to $1million but some big sacrifices would need to be made. Hayne even baited journalists – at least myself (Wilder) and Phil Rothfield (Richfield) in an Instagram post with Roosters trainer Hayden Knowles and Brad Fittler. He wanted me to know "That's an exclusive" ... and he was wishing "Uncle" was here – a reference to Roosters boss Nick Politis who is known as "Uncle" to a generation or three of players. There were close to 20,000 likes on the photo and nearly 300 comments. Hayne may have been referring to a piece I wrote a few weeks back saying rival teamswere convinced he was bound for Bondi. Right now his intent has not wavered and hopefully it won't. His career switch and everything that has come with it is my favourite story of the year. The message of chasing a dream is the best.

But NRL teams can't afford to be caught napping should he have a rethink. The Roosters would need to reboot their roster in a hurry. Both Tim Mannah and Brad Arthur are convinced that Hayne will continue to chase a future in the NFL. His agent Wayne Beavis says the same, but Beavis is too smart an operator not to have casual discussions about an NRL return. Any time you ask him – which is often, he says there is "no plan B". Penrith could afford to work him in more easily given their Jamal Idris money. But even they would need to make plans, and with Sonny Bill Williams off contract with rugby at the end of next season, the Roosters would need to start freeing up cap space if that was to happen, making the signing of Hayne a trickier proposition. Danny Weidler is a Nine reporter.