NRL 2015: Parramatta Eels prepared to pay nearly $5m to secure Manly star Kieran Foran
Dean Ritchie Exclusive
The Daily Telegraph
February 22, 2015 11:00PM
PARRAMATTA has squirrelled away a war chest worth nearly $5 million in a bid to lure superstar Kieran Foran away from Manly.
The Daily Telegraph can reveal the Eels have offered Foran a four-year deal worth about $1.2 million a season in one of the biggest contracts in the club’s 68-year history.
With the Eels’ salary cap becoming clearer, and given Jarryd Hayne’s departure to pursue an NFL career, Parramatta want Foran for the rest of his career.
The 24-year-old is yet to decide whether he will stay at Brookvale after his Manly contract expires at the end of this season. Canterbury, the Sydney Roosters and New Zealand Warriors are also among Foran’s suitors.
Parramatta though believe that no rival club can out bid them when it comes to money.
Foran, along with Manly teammate Daly Cherry-Evans, is the hottest property on the NRL open market. There were suggestions yesterday that Foran may try and announce his future in the next week or two.
Manly still remain highly confident Foran will re-sign, the Kiwi Four Nations winning five-eighth a strong admirer of Manly owner Rick Penn.
“We are very close,” said Manly CEO Joe Kelly. “The talks with Kieran and his manager have been productive and encouraging.”
Foran is fiercely loyal and won’t be driven by money but Parramatta’s offer will be massive.
The Eels won’t formally table an offer until Foran determines whether he actually wants to leave Manly. Parramatta has though made contact with Foran’s management company, SFX Sports. If Foran does quit Manly, Parramatta is ready to swoop.
“We’re hopeful,” admitted Eels CEO Scott Seward said. “I think our club can put forward a good case and provide opportunities for Kieran into the future.
“We want him to come here for the right reasons. The club is building a really good squad where we have competition in all positions.
“The club wants to compete for premierships in the not too distant future and we want to be playing finals football every year. Kieran would be a very good asset to help us achieve those goals.”
Asked was his club being irresponsible by offering such hefty money, Seward said: “No, we are not. We won’t be making the same mistakes of the past where the club threw around sizeable contracts worth a lot of money. We want players who want to come to our club.”
The recent re-signings of Jamie Lyon and Steve Matai at Manly will enhance the club’s chances of keeping Foran, who would be the logical Manly skipper when Lyon retires.
“We have tabled our best offers (to Foran and Cherry-Evans) and we are waiting for them to make a decision,” Kelly said.
Foran would however know plenty of familiar faces at Parramatta with former Sea Eagles Anthony Watmough, Will Hopoate, Darcy Lussick and David Gower now in Eels colours. Parramatta coach Brad Arthur is an ex-Manly assistant coach.
“We want to to win the premiership every year but that can’t be done,” Seward said. “But we want to challenge for the title each season.”
Manly are unsure whether the Gold Coast drug drama will deter Cherry-Evans from joining the club.
