Eels look likely to lure Kieran Foran from Sea Eagles’ nest
DAN KOCH JANUARY 14, 2015
Parramatta have money to spend and Manly’s Kieran Foran is the top target. Source: News Corp Australia
PARRAMATTA have emerged as the favourite to secure the prized signature of Manly superstar Kieran Foran for season 2016 and beyond, a move which would seemingly mark the end of the Sea Eagles’ reign as the competition yardstick of the NRL.
The Eels’ trump card is the enormous deal they are able to offer following Jarryd Hayne’s shock move to the US to pursue his NFL dream, and the fact halfback Chris Sandow is off-contract in 2015.
Several sources have told The Australian Foran is leaning towards joining the Eels at the end of this season.
It is understood almost $1.2 million will be freed up under the salary cap courtesy of the club parting ways with Hayne and Sandow, the bulk of which will go towards securing Foran, with Manly and another rival suitor, the Bulldogs, unable to come near that sort of figure without heavy third-party additions.
Also helping the Eels’ cause has been the strong Sea Eagles influence Parramatta now boasts with Anthony Watmough, prop Darcy Lussick and coach Brad Arthur — formerly an assistant at Manly — all close friends of Foran.
In what has been a decade of unrivalled excellence, Manly have played in 10 straight finals series, earning their way through to four grand final appearances and taking home titles in 2008 and again in 2011. The Sea Eagles’ uncanny ability to overcome seemingly any and all off-field distractions on game day came to be the defining feature of their remarkable run.
Whether it was one of the countless boardroom disputes at Manly being splashed across the front and back pages, the long-running feud between Brett Stewart and the NRL administration, the departure of stars Brent Kite, Tony Williams, Dean Whare, Matt Orford and Steve Menzies, or even the stunning defection of club legend and dual-premiership-winning coach Des Hasler to the Bulldogs following the 2011 premiership win — nothing has been able to derail the Manly juggernaut. Until now.
For so long the glue which had kept the club together through so much turmoil, the tight-knit Sea Eagles dressing-room splintered last season.
At issue was the club’s handling of star backrower Glenn Stewart’s contract negotiations.
Stewart was not offered a new deal by Manly, with reigning champion South Sydney snapping up the rugged lock forward.
The administration’s thinking was simple.
With young halves pairing Daly Cherry-Evans and Foran both off-contract at the end of 2015, the club needed the money Stewart’s departure would free up to ensure they could at least table competitive offers to the duo the front office deemed as the key to their plans for future success on the northern beaches.
On the back of Stewart’s exit, fellow representative hardman Watmough departed in acrimonious circumstances, with Kiwi Test veteran Steve Matai almost certain to follow suit at the end of 2015.
While Sea Eagles coach Geoff Toovey certainly hadn’t planned for such an exodus, the hope was that even with the loss of so many experienced stars, retaining Cherry-Evans, 25, and Foran, 24, would see the club through the transitional period.
However, in what would surely amount to the worst fears of Manly chairman and owner Scott Penn, it would seem one or even both of the Sea Eagles halves are on their way out, with the Eels quietly confident they have got their man.
Replies
They need to keep Sandow, hopefully at a reduced contract price.
Slipper I doubt if Sandow will be let go, imo he will be signed on a higher contract ($550k for a halfback is not excessive) and more likely Norman will go before his contract expires.
If we pay all that money for Foran we can't afford Sandow or Norman.
Foran at 6 and Matterson at 7 with ZDC coming off the bench when the opposition is tired could work well and would be affordable
The biggest problem with the Foran and Matterson combination would be who would take regular kicks. Outside of the kicking game there wouldn't be many physical or playing deficiencies in this pairing, the biggest concern would be Matterson's inexperience, but you have to put rookies in at some stage.
7. Foran
6. Foran
7. Docker-Clay
6. Matterson
7. Foran
Theses aren't too bad combinations
I would like to keep Sandow which I think we still could an let Norman go instead and still get foran
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