The 7th Tackle - with Josh Massoud and Jim Wilson

7News Sports Presenter Jim Wilson and Chief Rugby League Reporter Josh Massoud run through the seven burning topics from the rugby league world you may not know about.

From the game's highest-paid coach to a possible Eels-Sharks player swap, it's all in this week's installment of The 7th Tackle:

Tackle One: Des's New Digs

When Des Hasler signed a two-year extension to keep him at Belmore until the end of 2017, the deal was reported as the most lucrative among NRL coaching ranks. Now we've unearthed some evidence that strongly suggests Hasler is the game's highest paid coach. Property records show he splashed out a cool $2.82 million for an absolute beachfront home on the Northern Peninsula.

There's not too many of its kind left on the market, so we won't reveal the street or the suburb out of respect for Hasler's privacy. But we'll tell you this month after paying the property a visit this week - if there's a king tide, then the two-time premiership-winner had better bolt down his living room furniture. Otherwise it will be swept out to sea.

Tackle Two: Sandow baiting Sharks

This weeks' hottest rumour in club land surrounded a revived attempt to swing Michael Gordon to Parramatta - this time as a straight swap for out-of-favour halfback Chris Sandow. After several days on the phones, we finally managed to discover the scuttlebutt is not so wide of the mark.

Sources from both clubs have confirmed Sandow met with the Sharks about a fortnight ago, following an approach from his manager. The move is a clear indication that he won't be re-signed by the Eels, after knocking back a two-year extension just before the season kicked-off. However, the Sharks meeting was poorly timed for Sandow. Not long afterwards he was dropped from first grade, following a mysterious car accident on the way to the home clash against Melbourne three weeks ago.

That was enough to deter the Sharks, who, in any case, had already made stealing back local junior Chad Townsend from the Warriors their top priority. Roosters No. 6 James Maloney is also in their sights, but will only enter serious calculations if an agreement can't be reached for the Warriors to release Townsend 12 months early.

Tackle Three: More than a local derby

Being neighbours is one thing, flatmates another. James Segeyaro and Corey Norman have shared an interesting week under the same roof ahead of Friday night's Panthers-Eels derby at Pepper Stadium. Norman has been living in Segeyaro's Silverwater apartment for the best part of the past year. In that time they've most probably clashed over washing up or toilet roll duties, but have never gone head-to-head on the paddock.

Segeyaro told us he expected some banter during the early part of the week, but for things to get deadly serious by Thursday. "We've sort of got that Queensland connection - we've found one another living away from home here in Sydney," said the hooker, who cut his teeth in Townsville.

MORE: Eels salary cap woes force Kelly out

Norman initially found the move to Sydney from the Broncos tough, leaving behind his mum in Queensland. "That's been a big part of the reason why he moved in with me. It helps to have someone you're living with who understands how hard it can be to adapt to Sydney living."

Tackle Four: Lussick winging it home

One of our most interesting sightings this week concerned Parramatta prop Darcy Lussick. We were enjoying an afternoon coffee at beautiful Dee Why beach on Wednesday afternoon when he cruised past in the passenger seat of a Manly sponsor car, with 'Brookvale Mazda' branding. We couldn't make out the driver, but bookmakers would be offering tight odds about his identity being none other than Daly Cherry-Evans.

The pair forged a close friendship in 2010, when they won a premiership together for Manly's now-defunct QLD Cup feeder side on the Sunshine Coast. Shortly after agreeing to terms with the Titans in March, Cherry-Evans tried to entice Lussick to join him on the Gold Coast.

The tide, however, has turned. Lussick's family is close to none other than Manly's new recruitment advisor, Bob Fulton. The push for Lussick to return to his Northern Beaches roots has been gathering pace since Fulton was engaged, and it now appears a certainty he will be wearing a Manly jersey in 2016. Whether Cherry-Evans remains in one - there's now just 12 days remaining until the Round 13 deadline expires - is a question still to be answered, but Lussick's return to Brookvale will undoubtedly help.

Tackle Five: Camp Tiger no claws for concern

Struggling Wests Tigers spent three days in camp this week, following their dreadful 8-0 loss to the Cowboys last Saturday night. Club officials insist there's nothing suspect in the timing; claiming the camp had been pre-planned for the club's first bye. The entire first grade squad - minus Blues representatives Robbie Farah and Aaron Woods - attended. They spent two nights in the Rydges Hotel at Campbelltown; the joint venture's heartland winning over alternate locations such as the Blue Mountains and Central Coast.

A graduate of St Gregory's College, coach Jason Taylor is desperate to re-connect the team with Sydney's south west. Last weekend's dour performance at Campbelltown Stadium would have made that job harder. We were most surprised to see Luke Brooks spending a large majority of the game at hooker, with Curtis Sironen distributing on his usual edge.

Tackle Six: Home-braid headache

Big James Tamou sent his Blues teammates into fits of laughter when he emerged on game day with braided hair. The new style was the work of his soon-to-be mother-in-law, Kerrie. Interestingly, Tamou sported his usual flowing locks for the game. So what happened in between? "The braids actually gave him a headache," Kerrie said. "After about an hour or so he couldn't handle it anymore and got me to untie them."

Tackle Seven: Eels salary cap fight explained

So here's the low down on why Parramatta intend to fight the NRL on last week's $525,000 salary cap breach. The club maintains the unauthorised use of second tier players in 2014 only relates to Taniela Lasalo, Junior Paulo and David Gower. It claims the NRL assured it that multiple uses of the same player would only be counted as a single breach. On that basis, the Eels continued to play those three players.

The NRL saw it very differently, and breached Parramatta separately for every time one of those illicit players was used against their wishes. The Eels are also stunned the fine exceeds the breach amount by almost $100,000 - a first in NRL history. The NRL claim this is because the club ignored its advice. The Eels claim they were up front and honest.

But of most concern is the threat of administrative overhaul, which the NRL wants to execute in exchange for withdrawing a devastating four competition point penalty. The Eels board believes that sanction is inappropriate, as the salary cap is managed by the football department, not the board.