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If the reports are true and Kieran Foran is indeed leaving the Sea Eagles to join Parramatta then it truly is a disaster for Manly.
Foran has long been considered the more likely of the two Eagles halves to remain at the club and in many ways is the more important of the two players. Indeed one can argue that Kieran Foran is the most valuable commodity in the entire NRL.
First there is his unquestioned ability at a key position, with few doubts that he belongs in the top echelon of NRL playmakers. It is really only sharing a field with Daly Cherry-Evans that keeps Foran from drawing the plaudits he deserves. In 2014 Foran equalled Cherry-Evans’ total of 11 try assists, with far fewer errors while running for over 75 metres per game.
Then there is his age. At only 24 Foran is younger even than Cherry-Evans and substantially younger than other high value players such as Johnathan Thurston, Cam Smith and Greg Inglis.
Foran has also proven to be remarkably durable, missing just 16 of the Sea Eagles’ 144 games since his debut in late 2009. This despite an aggressive style in both attack and defence that puts his body on the line many times every game.
Moreover, unlike all the players listed above, Foran doesn’t have the added burden of three games of State of Origin every season. It may be a shame for the competition that Foran doesn’t get to play in those big games but it certainly adds value for his club side.
Furthermore, while Tim Mannah is a fine leader Foran may well walk into at the very least co-captaincy at the Eels as well. Overall Foran presents an incredible all-around package and could well anchor the Eels for the best part of a decade.
Meanwhile, with Foran reportedly gone and Cherry-Evans getting a Godfather offer from the Titans (and with other clubs waiting in the wings should he turn them down) Sea Eagles management faces an agonising decision about just how much of their future to mortgage to attempt to retain Cherry-Evans.
The worrying thought from a fan’s perspective would be for the management to now overpay Cherry-Evans in order to try to save face on the earlier promise of chairman Scott Penn that both halves would be re-signed by Christmas.
Cherry-Evans is a wonderful player but evidence is mounting that he’s not exactly a popular man around the locker room. While the club’s practice of backloading the contracts of star players is probably most to blame for the current salary cap squeeze, it is clear that there is a perception in the playing group that it is Cherry-Evans’ salary drain that is largely to blame. A new and improved offer from the club will only exacerbate those feelings of resentment.
Perhaps the worst case scenario, and one that is looking all too plausible, would be to lose both Foran and Cherry-Evans just 12 months after losing Glenn Stewart and Anthony Watmough, who were sacrificed in the quest to keep the star halves.
The Foran and Cherry-Evans decisions will also have ramifications throughout the league as the great halfback bonanza begins to get wrapped up. With the Eagles pair soon to be off the market it seems likely that the remaining off-contract halves such as James Maloney, Aidan Sezer, Chris Sandow and Trent Hodkinson will soon also find a home for 2016. Clubs such as the Sharks will be watching closely.
Decisions made in the next few weeks will affect the competition for years to come and on the current trajectory it could well spell a rebuilding period for Manly.
Follow Lachlan on Twitter @mrsports
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