Foran now focused on Manly’s finals charge

Departing Manly five-eighth Kieran Foran says he’s looking forward to a strong finish to his stint at Brookvale as he aims to lift the Sea Eagles to an unlikely finals charge into September.

Foran last week confirmed he’ll move to Parramatta next NRL season after the Eels put the deal in jeopardy by back-tracking on a number of clauses in his contract.

The 24-year-old refused to go into detail on the dramatic saga but admitted he was relieved to finally put his future to bed.

“Good relief to get that all over with now,” he said on Wednesday.

“I can just fully focus on the last ten games here at Manly.”

Foran has yet to miss a finals campaign since making his first grade debut in 2009, but faces an uphill battle to continue that record after the Sea Eagles entered last weekend in last place.

However a resounding win over Cronulla lifted the Sea Eagles off the bottom of the ladder, breathing hope into their flailing season.

Asked what one more finals push with the side would mean to him, Foran said: “It’d be great.

“Ever since I came into first grade here we’ve made the eight.

“It’d be a wonderful achievement to do it again.

“We’ve got such a great winning culture here that the players have built up over so many years.”

Monday night’s trip to the Gold Coast will be the first time halfback Daly Cherry-Evans meets the club he left in the lurch after backflipping on a lucrative deal with the Titans to sign a lifetime deal with Manly last month.

Foran, who was cleared of a serious ankle injury early this week, said his teammate would be prepared to walk into a frosty reception.

“I’m sure it’ll happen, but he deals with all that stuff fine,” Foran said.

“He’s a professional. He’s comfortable with the decision he’s made and we’ll back him 100 per cent.”

This week’s clash also marks skipper Jamie Lyon’s 200th game for the club.

The Manly veteran was been mooted as a possible contender to fill the vacant five-eighth role next season, a suggestion Foran backed.

“He’s won a grand final at five-eighth. He can play anywhere, `Killer’,” Foran said.

“He’s that talented, it wouldn’t matter where you put him, he’ll come up with match-winning plays.”

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