Injury-plagued Canterbury playmaker Kieran Foran has been backed to return from his latest setback and continue his NRL career with another club next season.
Scans are expected to confirm Foran has made his final appearance for the Bulldogs after suffering a suspected pectoral tear in Saturday’s four-point loss to Gold Coast.
With just three games left in the season and Canterbury on track to finish with the wooden spoon, the injury all but ends a nightmare three-year stint in Belmore.
“He’s giving 100 per cent every week so the players themselves are shattered for him. A few of them just walked out with him and made sure he was OK,” interim coach Steve Georgallis said.
“So it’s really disappointing for him.”
The former New Zealand captain was considered a major coup for the club when he arrived on a three-year deal reportedly worth over $3 million in 2018.
However Foran struggled to stay on the field throughout the entirety of his contract, with his latest injury meaning he will have played in just 40 of a possible 72 games.
Since recovering from an off-season shoulder reconstruction, Foran showed flashes of his best in a side that has won just two games this season to sit bottom of the ladder.
There were suggestions Canterbury had offered him a one-year extension for next season, but have since opted to sign Blake Green on a one-year deal to help guide the club through its rebuild.
The development has left Foran in search of a new home, with former club Manly, coached by ex-coach Des Hasler, and Newcastle mentioned as possible destinations.
And while his impending recovery is likely to raise further questions about his longevity in the game, Georgallis has backed Foran to make a successful return.
“I got a few injuries through my career. You go through that then you come back. Once you retire, that’s it. I’m pretty sure he’ll get over this,” Georgallis said.
“He’s a pretty resilient type of player. I’m pretty sure he’ll come back.”
Further compounding Foran’s injury is a knee problem for key front-rower Dylan Napa following his attempted tackle on Titans fullback AJ Brimson.
“He’s got a medial ligament tear in his knee, so he’ll go for scans. And a shoulder injury as well, all in the one tackle,” Georgallis said.
