- Made his first grade debut in 2009
- Sunday will be his 351st career game
- One of the NRL’s most loved players
Kieran Foran will sign off with one of rugby league’s most deserved farewells on Sunday night – and 15 hours later begin life as an assistant coach with the Manly Sea Eagles.
One of the game’s greatest survivors, Foran will play his 351st and final professional match in New Zealand’s Pacific Cup final against Samoa.
Foran’s career path is well known.
For large portions of the past 10 years, it has felt like it could be over at any point, enduring a horror run of injuries, personal issues and fears of medical retirement in 2020.
But instead of being declared over by a doctor, Foran will finish on his own terms on Sunday, in an international final while playing for his country.
‘I actually thought about that this week,’ Foran said.
Kieran Foran will sign off with one of rugby league’s most deserved farewells on Sunday night – and 15 hours later begin life as an assistant coach with the Manly Sea Eagles
One of the game’s greatest survivors, Foran will play his 351st and final professional match in New Zealand’s Pacific Cup final against Samoa
‘The reason I’ve been hanging on to my footy career for as long as I have was the dream of hopefully winning another premiership. But this (playing for the Kiwis) is the next best thing.
‘The reality is for me it could have ended so many times. Through all the injuries, setbacks, adversity and dips in form.
‘But I just feel like this is hopefully a reward for having hung in there for so long.
‘It’s an example of actually pushing through times when they’re really difficult and really tough, because there is sunshine at the end of it.’
In Foran’s mind, an exit in the Kiwi jersey couldn’t have been scripted any better.
He describes the jersey as ‘at the core’ of him, and the reason he fell in love with rugby league.
The 35-year-old believes good things are ahead for the Kiwis, deeming the side capable of winning next year’s World Cup.
Perhaps more remarkable than anything is the fact that Foran will retire with his 16-year Test career the longest of any Kiwi or Kangaroo in history.
Foran made his first-grade debut in 2009 with the Sea Eagles (pictured) and won a NRL premiership two years later
The ultimate competitor, Foran is widely respected by footy fans (pictured, playing for the Titans this season)
‘It’s something I’m so proud of,’ Foran said. ‘There was that middle part of my career where it just felt like it was all going so wrong for me.
‘I just wanted so badly as a kid to be a great player and get everything out of myself.
‘And it felt like for a period of time there that I was just never going to get the opportunity to do that. No matter what I did, my body wasn’t responding.
‘It was going to be a wonderful start to my career, but a really sad ending.
‘So I just feel really grateful that I’ve been able to turn it around with the support and the help of those close to me.’
Foran has found this week easier to deal with than his NRL farewell at Gold Coast, locked into a game rather than the endless external talk about a farewell.
And while the desire is there to end his career with a trophy, there will be no big party on Sunday night.
Instead, he will be at Brookvale Oval on Sydney’s northern beaches to work under head coach Anthony Seibold first thing, Monday morning.
‘I don’t need a break,’ Foran said. ‘I’ve devoted my whole life to rugby league, and I don’t want it to be any different once I retire.
‘Seibs (coach Anthony Seibold) offered one, but I’m pretty keen to just hit the ground running at Manly.’