The NRL has today confirmed they have registered the contract of troubled NRL star Kieran Foran, paving the way for him to play for the New Zealand Warriors this year.
Foran’s future as an NRL player has been under a cloud following a tumultuous 2016 season which saw him leave Parramatta and take a leave of absence from the game to overcome personal problems.
The NRL had previously not committed to registering Foran’s contract with the Warriors, however they made the announcement on Wednesday afternoon that they would allow the star playmaker to make his return to the field this year.
“I have always said that my priority is ensuring Kieran’s wellbeing – and his football career is secondary,” NRL CEO Todd Greenberg said.
“The expert advice we recently received indicates that Kieran’s recovery has reached the point where he is physically and mentally fit to return to rugby league.
“Consequently, we have today registered his contract to play with the Warriors in 2017.”
However, while Foran’s new contract has been registered, Greenberg said he won’t be permitted to play until at least Round 3 of the season.
“We want to be doubly sure that Kieran is in the right state of mind and have therefore decided to defer his return to the NRL until Round 3 so a further psychological assessment can be made,” Greenberg said.
“Kieran will only be allowed to play again in the NRL if that assessment is positive. Conditions will also be placed on his contract relating to integrity matters following the review of his gambling associations last year.”
Foran said while he would have preferred to be cleared for Round 1, he was relieved to be given a concrete comeback date to work towards.
“Both the Warriors and NRL have put my welfare first throughout so I am just happy that my contract is registered and I now have a date for my return,” Foran said.
Warriors managing director Jim Doyle, who has been working with the Greenberg on a rehabilitation program for Foran, said the club was positive their big-name recruit will be cleared to make his return in Round 3.
“We have seen Kieran’s progress over the last few months and we are confident he will be ready for Round 3,” Doyle said.
“Kieran has already become an integral part of the Warriors squad off the field and his teammates will be thrilled to see him back on the field.”
The Warriors begin their 2017 campaign at home against the Newcastle Knights on Sunday, March 5, while Foran’s mooted Round 3 return will be against the Canterbury Bulldogs at Forsyth Barr Stadium on Friday, March 17.
Cedric
Guest
may she RIP, but didn't she say some NOT NICE things about his relationship with his wife. I read, maybe a partial, review of his story and it gave her side to the story ONLY, then went on to talk of her passing and her and her husbands pain. How was Forans pain when she made comments about him and his wife!
Jacko
Guest
I hope people remember Rebecca wilson for what she was rather than pretend she was a lovely person.
Joe
Roar Rookie
After reading Websters piece about Forans actions towards Rebecca Wilson I've definitely changed my mind and think its a shame that the NRL has let him back. Their explanations that it is what's best for Foran because of his mental challenges are the cowards way out and besides the NRL isn't a mental hospital and it was the stress of it all that caused him to leave in the first place. NRL are just full of it.
Jacko
Guest
Why? Surely he has been proven to actually have issues and has now been proven to have got over them...subject to final passing on eve of round 3. Does anyone actually believe that he hasnt paid a price already?
Joe
Roar Rookie
I fully agree. I read that piece and was quite sickened by Forans actions and has definitely changed my opinion which I've updated above.
Your kidding
Guest
After Andrew Websters article in today's SMH, the NRL may have to have a rethink. This is bad PR just before the season starts. It seems that Foran may need to sit on the sidelines for a bit longer.
The Barry
Roar Guru
That's not what I'm expecting at all. And I'm not assuming anything - I'm going totally off what Greenberg said. If the expert opinion said Foran should be right in four weeks but will need an assessment before round three, why not say that instead of the experts reckon he's physically and mentally ready to play. That's not paraphrasing or interpretation. I'm not asking for excruciating detail of every decision. Just the ones where the NRL arbitrarily says this guy can't play till round 3 or this player is ineligible for the Clive Churchill or we'll grant medical retirement for Watmough and the Eels but not Stewart and Manly. Why some investigations go for 3 months and some for a week. Why some players get 8 weeks for being idiots while other players get less for breaking the law. Those decisions directly impact fans as stakeholders and should have a degree of transparency and consistent process. I don't think that's unreasonable.
Mushi
Guest
Um becuase he can presumably get paid? Saying that if the NRL has the capacity to prevent you from playing based on certian parameters makes a contract ineffective renders every contract in the league ineffecitve (and the concept of contracts also was just destroyed)
Mushi
Guest
Doesn't that validate taking a longer approach to confirming he can play?
Mushi
Guest
Baryr you're assuming that the extent of the epxerts advice mirros the exact wording from Greenberg and that no paraphrasing was done and no context required to fully understand the entrie body of advice. It could well be they said he's seems to be going well but I'd wait another X weeks. Or there were an array of views and the NRL are taking the most conservative. That lack of transparency you keep higlighting is baffling no organsitioan lays out in excrutiating detail every deciion and yet here you want Greenberg to break the law and lay out for all to see a mental health assesment?
Cedric
Guest
I think the NRL has had 6 months to sort Forans issues. By taking this out to round 3 the NRL will again be highlighting Forans issues to the media. I would have thought Forans issues would have been sorted behind closed doors with one final media release, say in December, when most are preoccupied with xmas. As I would think the more the media highlights Foran, then more pressure gets piled on Foran?
The Barry
Roar Guru
I agree - I'm sick of it too...but there's an ongoing series of ambiguous and contradictory decisions from the NRL. As for grey areas you can only go off what they've released which was literally that the expert advice is that Foran is physically and mentally ready to return to rugby league. A couple of sentences later the NRL has decided to rest him to round 3. Im a fan of Greenberg. He was a great administrator for the Bulldogs but the lack of transparency and arbitrary nature of decision making is very poor and should be a concern. I also hate conspiracy theories - despite the posts to the contrary over the last couple of months - but the message that they put out doesn't add up.
John
Guest
I think the real question is, what if the psychological tests done prior to round 3 shows a regression? What if they issues they are worried about surfaces before round 3? Is he still free to play round 3 or is he sidelined till he "comes good"? If he is sidelined indefinitely till the NRL are satisfied, then what is good is registering the contract in the first place?
Magnus M. Østergaard
Roar Guru
I don't know. Too many grey areas for my liking to be 100% that no experts were involved in the decision. TBH im sick of bashing the heirachy. As bad and inconsistent as they may be, they also never have 2 similiar situations. Theyve made a decision, impacts are relatively minor. Move on.
The Barry
Roar Guru
It still doesn't make sense. Expert advice says he's right to go. Non experts say "nah, forget that. Lets wait till round 3. Just in case"
andrew
Guest
Thanks Vince, I can and did read. Your quote is my point (as per Barry above). Surely he is either right to go, or not right to go. It isn't a broken finger that you can say will be right in three weeks. It is (supposedly) his mental health and nobody ever prognosticates that someone will be "cured" or in control of their mental health illnesses in a set time frame.
Magnus M. Østergaard
Roar Guru
I suspect they recently received the all clear, and just wanted to wait a month to check. Say he received the all clear in the last couple of days, and wait a month to be doubly sure and rechecked, falls into the week before round 3
Jacko
Guest
No Baz, Ben was not rejected for anything to do with the cap. That was just Cronulla being too smart for their own good. Barba left because the NRL mucked him around to the stage where he thought he had no choice but to leave. Foran should also get a discount because he is not registered until round 3 and its also a gamble as to what the NRL will do in the future
Jacko
Guest
Gotta agree. Seems very strange to me. It would appear that the NRL plucked a date out of their you-know-where and said "round 3" . Really glad he is back playing...maybe...and looking forward to the year, specially from rnd 3 onwards
The Barry
Roar Guru
“The expert advice we recently received indicates that Kieran’s recovery has reached the point where he is physically and mentally fit to return to rugby league. Experts say he's fit. So it's the NRL choosing to give Foran a couple of extra weeks. My bet is this is an unofficial suspension for the betting allegations last year.