The NRL’s complex investigation into Kieran Foran could continue into next year, with the game’s governing body a long way from clearing a path for the superstar playmaker’s return to rugby league.

CEO Todd Greenberg said the NRL integrity unit’s investigation into Foran is likely to be a protracted one similar to that which looked into Parramatta’s salary cap woes.

Fairfax Media is reporting Foran’s contract has a clause in it which requires Foran to be cleared by the integrity unit by December.

Greenberg said he would like to see Foran return to the NRL, but didn’t know when or if that might happen.

“I am like most fans – I want to see him back playing footy in the NRL. But it is only a few months ago he walked out of the game for personal reasons,” Greenberg told AAP on Monday.

“So we need to be very careful in assessing how we get him back in into the game and our integrity unit will go through that process

“I don’t put a time frame on it and I won’t put a time frame on it.

“But they will deal with him and they will deal with the Warriors and then we will make some decisions on when he comes back.”

Foran’s relationship with controversial gambling figure Eddie Hayson is of major concern to the NRL.

“That is something else for the integrity unit,” Greenberg said.

“We have been very constant with this throughout the last few years.

The integrity unit will deal with things in the fullness of time.

They will do it without a running commentary and they will do it without a time frame. When they have finished that we will make a decision.

“We showed that with Parramatta. People wanted us to speed it up and make some decisions.

“At the end of the day we did a lot of work and we landed on outcomes when we had all the information in front of us.

“Dealing with Kieran Foran will be exactly the same.”

Greg Bird was due to meet with the integrity unit on Monday in regard to his latest alleged off field incident at a northern NSW pub.

“I have no update on that,” Greenberg said.