Kieran Foran realises it's Eddie Hayson or rugby league - and is ready to make the call
Danny Weidler
In all the talk in recent days about
Kieran Foran joining the Warriors, there have been some significant names that have not been discussed: those of Foran's two kids.
Without going deep into Foran's personal situation, it's fair to say the children are weighing most heavily on him. He doesn't want to see his kids every second week during the football season, which is what would happen if he crossed the Tasman to play. That's the reality Foran is facing because, at this point, his relationship with his former partner is beyond repair.
Heavy heart: Kieran Foran. Photo: Getty Images
She has been doing a great job bringing up the kids while Foran has been trying to find some clarity in a life that has been clouded by mental illness and some associations that no one outside his inner circle seem to understand. If Foran was a single man with no ties, a move to New Zealand would be a great one.
The other name that has been absent from discussions about Foran's next move is
Eddie Hayson, Foran's great mate.
Hayson and some of his associates are under the microscope of the NRL integrity unit. Hayson, who was linked to Friday's standing down of Roosters recruitment manager
Peter O'Sullivan, is regarded as a "no-go zone" for players. If Foran wants to play again he is going to have to be cleared by the integrity unit, which has a list of detailed questions they want answered.
Foran knows all of this and is ready to answer anything they want to know. He has no fears about being interrogated by the NRL.
And here is the key point: Foran knows football and his relationship with Hayson can't coexist. He is telling those who count that he will put the game ahead of Hayson and if it means ending their association, he will do that. Hayson understands that.
Warriors boss
Jim Doyle is a huge Foran fan. When Doyle was a senior executive at the NRL he used to rave about Foran. He told anyone who would listen as he was heading to the Warriors that Foran – not
Issac Luke, or even
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck – was the player he really wanted at the club.
The godfather: Kieran Foran and Don Mackinnon. Photo: Instagram
Doyle made his move several weeks ago. He contacted
Paul Sutton, who was one of Foran's two agents at the time, and asked if Foran had changed his number as he had been texting him without getting a reply. Sutton passed on the number and they have been talking since.
As we explained last week, Foran has parted ways with his agents. He is now teaming up with his godfather,
Don Mackinnon, a respected New Zealand lawyer. Mackinnon has no desire to be a player agent, but is happy to be there for Foran at a difficult time. He played a fatherly role in Foran's life as he was growing up and Foran has renewed their relationship in recent times.
In effect, Foran wants to do a deal for himself. He won't be driven by money. He wants to find the right fit as he tries to find himself again.
Foran has been a lost soul in recent months and is starting to realise that he wants to play football. The fact he had surgery this week to repair the AC joint in his shoulder is an indication he wants to play. If he was content to miss a year he wouldn't have taken that step.
There are clubs in Australia that would move heaven and Earth to fit Foran into their roster. There have been ongoing rumours – which have been denied – that the Eels are chasing
Adam Reynolds, which would free up a place at Souths. And the Dragons also have big money to spend on a No.7.
Then there is the close relationship Foran has with Bulldogs coach
Des Hasler. But the Dogs are heavy in quality halves.
If he is cleared to return to the game, Foran's progress will again be one of the intriguing stories of 2017.
http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...s-ready-to-make-the-call-20160820-gqxd0x.html
