BEFORE escaping Sydney for medical treatment on Friday morning, Kieran Foran penned a heartfelt letter to his Parramatta teammates.
The letter was read out to the Eels prior to their inspired 20-12 win over Canterbury.
The Eels announced on Thursday night that Foran had been granted leave after being hospitalised to deal with personal matters.
It’s understood the five-eighth has since flown out of the state to check into a medical health facility where he will get help to deal with depression.
Foran’s halves partner, Corey Norman, produced a man of the match performance in Friday night’s win and revealed that Foran had written a letter to the team which was passed around the dressing room as a source of inspiration prior to the game.
“He wrote us a little letter, it was very touching,” Norman said on Channel Nine.
“He was just letting us know that he was all right and to go out and get a good win, and I think we did him proud.
“ … that letter was read out at the start and we passed that and we wanted to get that win for Fozzy.”
The break from rugby league comes after Foran allegedly overdosed on prescription medication on Wednesday night, which resulted in the New Zealand half being rushed to hospital before being released 24 hours later.
It has been reported that Foran’s biggest struggle has been the separation from his long-term partner Rebecca Pope, with whom he shares two children.
Pope posted on Instagram a few weeks back; “Since becoming a single mum when Jordan was only 3 weeks old, life has become completely and utterly challenging.”
Now it’s Foran who faces the challenge of returning to full health.
Foran, who reportedly still wanted to make himself available for the Eels’ Friday night match, has been given indefinite leave by the club and Eels chief executive John Boulous says the 25-year-old’s welfare is their top priority.
“We need to give him the time he needs, take the time personally and to do that it is in all our interests to give him that time,” Boulous said.
Boulous said he believed Foran’s teammates had known he was affected by personal issues and they stood by the club’s decision to give him a leave of absence.
“I think most of his teammates may have been aware that he was struggling with some issues but certainly they are very close knit,” he said.
“As a group of people they are thinking about Kieran at this time and they have supported the club’s decision to allow him time.”
It remains unclear when Foran will return to the field.
