Foran under pressure to show authority
Warriors want outgoing playmaker to show his class with Johnson out injured
Warriors coach Stephen Kearney expects star playmaker Kieran Foran to stand and deliver for his side in tonight’s must- win NRL clash against North Queensland in Townsville.
The pressure is on the Warriors marquee recruit to defy his critics and lead the side’s attack in the absence of injured halfback Shaun Johnson, following two injury- affected performances from the five- eighth in consecutive defeats to Manly and Penrith.
With the Warriors needing at least five wins from their last seven games to keep their slim finals hopes alive, results over the next few weeks will be key to determining how Foran’s brief time at the club is remembered before he departs to join the Canterbury Bulldogs next season.
The heat is well and truly on the former Manly premiership winner and Parramatta captain to show the leadership qualities, toughness and class that convinced the Warriors to throw him a career lifeline in the form of a one- year deal.
Kearney this week dismissed suggestions from former Warriors and Kiwis coach Frank Endacott that Foran was already thinking about his pending return to Sydney, but admitted his form has been below what’s expected of the 21- test Kiwis player.
“I’m not going to be really critical of Kieran because it’s a team performance,” said Kearney.
“I thought he did some OK things early in the contest [ against Penrith].
“Has he been at his best? Absolutely not. But he’s not by himself there, so I don’t think he’s clocked out early.
“My expectation i s you’ll see a better performance from Kieran this week.”
Foran finds himself under increased scrutiny at this crucial stage of the season after many questioned both the value of signing him on a short- term deal and the extreme lengths the club went to in helping him get his personal life and career back on track.
Doubts also hung over his fitness after season- ending shoulder surgery limited him to just nine outings for the Eels, but both Kearney and Warriors managing director Jim Doyle insisted Foran’s presence alone would help embed a winning culture in the club.