NRL contract news: Kieran Foran begins contract talks with Titans, Bulldogs land Zane Tetevano
As he gears up for his second Titans campaign, Kieran Foran has opened talks for a remarkable 17th NRL season, after reuniting with former Manly coach Des Hasler.
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Gold Coast veteran Kieran Foran has opened contract extension talks with the Titans as he contemplates forging on into a remarkable 17th NRL season.
Foran is gearing up for his second campaign with the Titans after reuniting with former Manly coach Des Hasler, with whom he won 2011 NRL premiership under.
At 33, many expected this year to be Foran’s NRL farewell as the 282-game statesman embarks on entering the exclusive 300-game club.
But Foran is refusing to put an end-date on his NRL career, which started at the Sea Eagles in 2009, and has been buoyed by renewed optimism under Hasler’s coaching and a strong pre-season.
“I’m not putting an endpoint on it,” Foran said.
“With the pre-season I’ve had and numbers I’m pushing on the gym and field, I don’t feel like I’m slowing down at all or getting weaker. I feel as strong as I’ve been in the last five or six years and I’m running as well as I’ve ever run.
“I’ve put the work in and I don’t want to put an endpoint on it. My footy will do the talking at the end of the day. It will come down to results and form.
“If I’m playing the sort of footy I know I’m capable of playing and we’re getting the results, I don’t see why I’d look at finishing up.
“I’ve had initial conversations with the club around my future and I think we’re of the same view. If form warrants it and I’m feeling good physically, then why not keep going?
“I’ll more than likely make the decision once we’ve got a few games under our belt. I don’t need to get something done now for 2025.
“Once I see where I’m at we can sit down and get something done. They’re happy to do it that way and I’m feeling pretty optimistic about it.”
While Foran has felt strong over a gruelling summer, he is taking a cautious approach and withdrawn from Sunday’s trial match against Parramatta at Ipswich due to calf tightness.
That means he will go into Gold Coast’s NRL season-opener against the Dragons at Cbus Super Stadium on March 10 without a trial under his belt.
However after 15 seasons in the top grade, and 20 appearances for the Titans last year, Foran isn’t concerned.
Instead, he is confident about the Titans’ hopes this season after observing Hasler’s impact on the back-to-back bottom four finishers.
“I couldn’t be happier with the transformation I’ve seen in the group,” he said.
“The boys are really enjoying Des’ coaching style.
“A ball hasn’t been kicked yet and the results will tell but I’m feeling really confident about how the boys have responded.
“We saw a glimpse of it last week with the boys against the Dolphins (26-14 trial loss). There was more of an emphasis around resilience in defence, trying to save tries and sticking to our processes.
“That’s what we want to pride ourselves on and we saw a glimpse of that. We’re hoping to showcase that again this weekend.”
Foran capped off an encouraging 2023 campaign by featuring in New Zealand’s stunning 30-0 Pacific Championships final thrashing of the Kangaroos.
That gave Foran further confidence that he was far from finished in the NRL and he’s keen to continue mentoring the Titans’ emerging players.
“I caught up with Kieran recently and there’s no expiry date on his career,” said Foran’s manager Chris Orr of PSM.
“While Kieran’s body and mind is feeling strong, he wants to play on.
“I will certainly be talking to the Titans about an extension. He is an absolute pro.”
SURPRISE SIGNING: DOGS BEEF-UP PACK WITH PREMIERSHIP WINNER
—Fatima Kdouh and Michael Carayannis
Zane Tetevano has been handed an NRL lifeline just months after suffering a stroke while training in England last year as St George Illawarra prepare to give injured back Corey Allan a new deal.
It is understood the Bulldogs have agreed to sign Tetevano, who won a premiership with the Roosters in 2018, despite the 33-year-old having not played in the NRL since 2020.
Tetevano’s last NRL match was a 2020 grand final loss for Penrith against Melbourne where current Bulldogs coach Cameron Ciraldo was part of the Panthers coaching staff.
Since then he played three seasons at Leeds but his rugby league career looked over when he needed surgery to repair the hole in his heart which caused a stroke.
He did not play another game for Leeds, instead he moved back to New Zealand. However, he made a successful rugby league return and played two games for the Cook Islands at the end of season Pacific Champions in PNG. That clearance has enabled Tetevano to push for an NRL return.
“I was trying to communicate in the warm-up and I started slurring my words,” Tetevano told AAP in October.
“My strength and conditioning coach Rich Hunwicks asked ‘have you been on the piss?’
“Then I started kicking my feet and (assistant coach) Chev Walker realised I was having a stroke.
“They tried not to scare anyone at training and then they called for an ambulance.”
The Bulldogs have been looking for props as they aim to add some much-needed depth to that position.
Tetevano was linked with a move to Wyong Roos before Christmas. He has played 121 top grade games during his stints at Newcastle, Sydney Roosters and Penrith.
Tetevano has also played three Tests for New Zealand and 10 games for the Cook Islands.
Meanwhile, the Cowboys officially released Luciano Leilua to allow the back-rower to take up an immediate three year deal with the Dragons.
The Dragons have agreed to payout Allan for the rest of the year to open up a top 30 spot on their roster.
Allan stay on with the club to continue his rehabilitation after rupturing his ACL in the pre-season. He is expected to re-sign with the club for 2025.
SHARKS WARD OFF WARRIORS TO RETAIN STAR
— David Riccio
The Sharks have secured a major piece of their forward pack puzzle by re-signing enforcer Braden Hamlin-Uele.
Turning his back on interest from the Warriors, Hamlin-Uele has re-signed with Cronulla through until 2026.
The powerful front-rower admitted he broke down in tears during the process of deciding his future.
“I had this sort of realisation moment of having to look at the boys and tell them – if I was to leave – that I was leaving,” Hamlin-Uele said.
“I just broke down and cried and I knew just then that I’m meant to be a Cronulla Shark for as long as I can and I’m meant to be in the Shire.
“This club means everything to me, the boys mean everything to me. I love them like a second family and I’m just so grateful and thankful that I can be here for another two years with them.”
COWBOY JOINS DRAGONS
St George Illawarra’s successful pursuit of Luciano Leilua won’t hinder their ability to secure his former North Queensland teammates Heilum Luki or Kulikefu Finefeuiaki.
The Dragons have landed Leilua on an immediate three-year deal with St George Illawarra paying the back rower an average of less than $700,000 per season. The Dragons baulked at his original price tag of $900,000 each year for the next four seasons but maintained their eagerness to sign the St George junior.
The Cowboys have already paid four months of his deal this year and will contribute to his contract again next year.
Leilua was off-contract at the end of next season with the Dragons adding an extra 12 months to his contract.
Talks have progressed since Leilua requested an immediate release from his Cowboys contract last week.
The Raiders also pursued Leilua but always felt he was destined to return home to the Dragons.
While they have successfully secured Leilua the Dragons are holding out a faint hope of landing either Luki or Finefeuiakai despite the pair being considered short odds to remain in Queensland. The Dolphins have an interest in at least one of the back rowers however the Cowboys are confident they will be able to keep both given the money now freed up by Leilua’s departure.
The Dragons have made an offer to back rower Jaydn Su’A but the parties are set to put off talks now until some point early in the season.
Su’A and Leilua are expected to form a starting second-row combination for the Dragons who have named the reliable Tom Eisenhuth to partner Su’A in their final trial against the Tigers on Saturday.
The Hurstville United junior made his debut for the Dragons in 2016 playing 43 matches before joining the Tigers.
He was part of a long list of local products to be squeezed out of the club at the time. Leilua joins Hame Sele, who is also a St George junior who rejoined the club this year.
With the Dragons having 30 contracted players they have to squeeze a player out of their top squad. Injured outside back Corey Allan could be paid out the rest of his deal to make way for Leilua. Allan would be kept on to complete his rehabilitation.
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