Foran Is Coming

[Iafeta]

Well, not at the Warriors anyway.

 

[Wheeled Warrior]

Meanwhile Roberts gets cleared for another night club episode. Hurry the hell up NRL approve Foran

 

[VillaTheGorilla]

Heard from a mate at Mt Smart yesterday that Foran was training with the team.....

 

[myrrh ken]

He's doing fine on the personal relationships front

http://www.couriermail.com.au/enter...d/news-story/a725cea533525835bf3783880cbb5def

 

[Rich102]

Kieran Foran's playing future with the Warriors should be confirmed in weeks rather than months, according to NRL boss Todd Greenberg.

The Kiwis playmaker last year signed a one-year deal with the Auckland-based club but his contract wasn't immediately registered by the NRL and doubt surrounded when he would be free to play.

A number of off-field issues left Foran in a state of limbo after being released by Parramatta last May, but Greenberg suggested the Warriors could be able to call on his services for their season-opener against Newcastle on March 5.

Greenberg has been having regular conversations with Warriors chief executive Jim Doyle and, although he was unlikely to meet with Foran while in Auckland for the NRL Nines, he was confident the saga was nearing an end.

"There's no one who wants to see Kieran Foran back playing NRL more than I do," Greenberg told Newstalk ZB's Tony Veitch.

"What I want to ensure and what the game wants to ensure is that we're fully satisfied that he's done everything required and he's ready to come back in a better place than where he was when he bowed out of the game."

Greenberg said there were two aspects behind Foran's clearance. First was about his welfare, having last year struggled with mental health problems and issues in his personal life, and second was his association with gambling identity Eddie Hayson.

"We've addressed that with Kieran and I think he's taken the steps necessary to remedy that," Greenberg said of Foran's friendship with Hayson.

"I'm very conscious that he's in a good space ... I'm looking forward to seeing him back."

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/league/news/article.cfm?c_id=79&objectid=11794945

 

[Iafeta]

Wouldn't it be discrimination to prevent employment based on mental illness?

 

[spear tackle]

Wouldn't it be discrimination to prevent employment based on mental illness?

Probably unless you were criminally insane ,which he is not

 

[the rebel]

I would have thought playing would be the best thing for him rather than doing nothing. Also, if he is training the house down wouldn't that suggest he is motivated and in the frame of mind to play?

 

[Philip_Smith007]

Wouldn't it be discrimination to prevent employment based on mental illness?

Yes, but suspect its more of a fitness to return to work situation.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

Yes, but suspect its more of a fitness to return to work situation.

Exactly. And being in the middle of one of those now, they're a bloody headache!

 

[Rich102]

Vodafone Warriors managing director Jim Doyle and playmaker Kieran Foran said they were both excited the Kiwi international’s NRL contract had been registered for the 2017 season.

NRL CEO Todd Greenberg today announced Foran will be able to resume his career this season although he added the 26-year-old wouldn’t be able to play until the club’s third-round match against Canterbury-Bankstown at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin on Friday, March 17 (8.00pm).

It means he will miss the Vodafone Warriors’ back-to-back season-opening games at Mount Smart Stadium against Newcastle (Sunday, March 5) and Melbourne (Friday, March 10).

Doyle said Foran had made significant progress since joining the Vodafone Warriors last year and added the club is continuing to provide internal and external support.

“Naturally we are keen to see Kieran back on the field as soon as possible but we have always highlighted that the most important thing is to ensure Kieran is mentally and physically ready for the demands of the NRL,” said Doyle.

“We have seen Kieran’s progress over the last few months and we are confident he will be ready for round three.

“Kieran has already become an integral part of our squad off the field and his team-mates will be thrilled to see him back on the field.”

Foran said he was delighted that his contract had been registered.

“Naturally I would love to return in round one because I love rugby league and I love being part of the Vodafone Warriors,” he said.

“But both the club and NRL have put my welfare first throughout so I am just happy that my contract is registered and I now have a date for my return.”

Greenberg said Foran’s return in the third round would be subject to a further psychological assessment to ensure he is in the right frame of mind to play in the NRL.

Greenberg and Doyle said they had worked closely over the last four months on a rehabilitation programme to help Foran overcome the problems which saw him drop out of the game last year.

“I have always said that my priority is ensuring Kieran’s wellbeing – and his football career is secondary,” said Greenberg.

“The expert advice we recently received indicates that Kieran’s recovery has reached the point where he is physically and mentally fit to return to rugby league.

“Consequently, we have today registered his contract to play with the Warriors in 2017.

“However, we want to be doubly sure that Kieran is in the right state of mind and have therefore decided to defer his return to the NRL until round three so a further psychological assessment can be made.

“Kieran will only be allowed to play again in the NRL if that assessment is positive. Conditions will also be placed on his contract relating to integrity matters following the investigation into his gambling associations last year.”

Warrior's email.

 

[Rich102]

What a limp-wristed decision.
Register the guy and let him play. Now.
What is wrong with you?

 

[Diesel]

That's Greenberg for ya

 

[Benek]

The round three thing is weird, but f**k YEAH Foran is officially a Warrior. Let's all get super excited now until the inevitable slow start and disappointing season.

 

[Rich102]

And the announcement he has signed elsewhere for 2018.

 

[One Warrior]

95% there finally, Hingano gets to play a couple of games with Johnson.

 

[MKEB...]

I would love to know how Greenberg came up with the seemingly arbitrary figure of allowed to play week 3.
Is it to punish the Warriors that he didnt go to the Dullbogs? or to Punish Foran for not going to the dullbogs?
Or to appease the eels who have constantly had issues of their own making.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

I'll take that. Don't think it will impact round one too much, even with our found one curse we should be able to knock the knights over. Would've been good to have him vs the Storm though. Hopefully he hits the ground running and we finallly get a really solid start to a season this year.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

I would love to know how Greenberg came up with the seemingly arbitrary figure of allowed to play week 3.
Is it to punish the Warriors that he didnt go to the Dullbogs? or to Punish Foran for not going to the dullbogs?
Or to appease the eels who have constantly had issues of their own making.

Ironically it likely means the Dullbogs will be his first opponent in round three so you'd think if it was that personal he'd have made it round 4.

 

[Rich102]

Newly approved Warriors five-eighth Kieran Foran has expressed his willingness to remain at the Auckland-based club long-term.

Foran, 26, had his one-year deal at the NRL club registered on Wednesday after successfully demonstrating his mental health and fitness to play.

He was also forced by the governing body to sever his connection to colourful Sydney gambling identity Eddie Hayson.

With the four-month contract saga resolved, Foran is now free to complete an all-Kiwi Warriors spine alongside Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Shaun Johnson and Issac Luke.

However, he will have to wait until the side's round-three match against the Bulldogs in Dunedin before returning to the football field.

He will also have to pass one final psychological evaluation after an Auckland psychiatrist confirmed to the NRL that Foran could return to the game.

Warriors chief Jim Doyle said on Wednesday that, with his immediate future settled, Foran was keen to stay in Auckland.

But the club would wait until Foran had successfully bedded into the Warriors set-up before discussing an extension.

"Kieran doesn't see himself as a player who hops from club to club, you've seen that at Manly," Doyle said.

"We've had a few discussions around that already but we've said, let's take it one step at a time, get the registration, get on the field."

Doyle also said that any contract extension would be dependent on the still-unknown size of the salary cap from 2018.

The current $7m cap is predicted to rise in line with a new broadcast deal, but a collective bargaining agreement has not yet been nailed down.

"You can only spend X amount of dollars or link things to percentages, so it does make it a little bit muddy," Doyle said.

Irrespective of any extension, Doyle said he was glad to see Foran get his life back together in Auckland after a difficult 12 months.

He had surrounded himself with good people in Auckland, including godfather Don Mackinnon and was almost fully recovered from a serious shoulder injury.

"This process is not just about ticking boxes for the NRL," Doyle said.

"He wants to be a good family man, he's got two young kids and he's doing this to better himself, to be the best person he can."

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11801722