Former Manly five-eighth Kieran Foran threatening to sue Sea Eagles over unpaid third party deals

MANLY could be set for a courtroom showdown with Kieran Foran, who is threatening to sue the club over unpaid third party deals worth more than $100,000.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 14: Kieran Foran of the Eels talks to team mates during warm up prior to the round seven NRL match between the Manly Sea Eagles and Parramatta Eels at Brookvale Oval on April 14, 2016 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

KIERAN Foran and his former club Manly could be set for a courtroom showdown with Foran threatening to sue the club over unpaid third party deals worth more than $100,000.

The Sunday Telegraph understands Foran claims he is owed $147,000 from the final years of his contract which expired at the Sea Eagles at the end of the 2015 season.

The issue has been ongoing since Foran left Manly last year with the Kiwi international engaging a legal team in recent months. It is understood the Sea Eagles have been issued with a demand notice as correspondence between Foran’s legal representatives and the Sea Eagles have ramped up in recent weeks.

The threat of legal action looms large if Foran and the Sea Eagles are unable to come to an arrangement regarding the unpaid money. Foran had a decorated career at the seven-year career the Sea Eagles, playing 147 games and winning the 2011 premiership.

Manly chief executive Joe Kelly confirmed to the Sunday Telegraph that the club has been approached by Foran’s legal representatives surrounding a contract dispute regarding third party payments.

“We’ve asked on numerous occasions for written evidence of such dispute and to date nothing has been forthcoming,” Kelly said. “In our opinion there is no dispute. It is simple for us.”

Foran re-signed with the club until the end of 2015 midway through 2012. Foran’s manager Paul Sutton did not comment.

The murky waters of the NRL’s third party deals will again come under fire. There is no suggestion of any salary cap wrongdoing by the club. Foran left the Sea Eagles at the end of last year to sign a rich four year deal at the Eels.

Parramatta are engulfed in salary cap dramas of their own as they face the prospect of a heavy points deduction largely because of undeclared third party payments. Foran returned to Brookvale Oval for the first time in a Parramatta jersey in the Eels’ 22-10 win in round seven.

Foran and Manly appear at loggerheads on the matter.

Manly are embroiled in another courtroom drama with former Manly assistant coach Steve Georgallis suing the club after he was sacked as an assistant coach last year. Georgallis was part of Geoff Toovey’s coaching staff and was contracted until the end of 2016.

However, Georgallis, who has since returned to the Panthers, was pushed out of the club when incoming coach Trent Barrett brought in his own staff. His case will be held on May 4.

Cronulla also have a number of looming legal cases with former players Josh Cordoba, Broderick Wright, Issac Gordon, Ben Pomeroy, Paul Aiton, Albert Kelly and Dean Collis in court next month suing the club for negligence in relation to Cronulla’s 2011 supplements program.

The Sharks are also at loggerheads with former sponsor One Solutions. Ex-Cronulla half Todd Carney is also seeking $2,357,039 in damages from the club over his sacking in 2014.

Originally published as Former Manly five-eighth Kieran Foran threatening to sue Sea Eagles over unpaid third party deals