Former Eels back-rower Justin Horo says he is unsurprised administrative issues at his former club have cast doubt over a contract offered to his current Manly teammate Kieran Foran.
Addressing media on Tuesday, Horo said while he never experienced any contract uncertainty at the club he was familiar was administrative upheaval in his time there, although he wasn't going to be drawn on whether the latest controversy may result in Foran being tempted to stay at Manly.
The one thing he was surprised about was reports Parramatta were seeking to change the terms of the deal offered to Foran.
"If you get a high quality player like that, if all the reports are right and he was promised something that he signed off on, it is surprising," Horo said.
"I spent a couple of years there myself. It happens at other clubs though too. There's often a power struggle and that seems to be still happening at Parra… it happens at a few other clubs as well, there's a power struggle up top and there are people trying to stake their claim on the club and like I said that's been happening at Parra for a long time and it looks like it's continuing to happen."
He said he had been happy for his teammate to seek an opportunity at the Eels when he heard Foran had signed there.
"I've got a massive rap on Brad Arthur as a coach and I think that was one of the main reasons, Fozzy's even come out and said that himself, that he's got a high opinion of him and he wanted to extend his career and be coached under Brad as well was a big reason so I'm happy for him," Horo said.
"It'd be great for the club [if he stayed at Manly] but I'll just leave that to Kieran, that's his own business, I've left Kieran and to an extent Daly [Cherry-Evans] before when he's just organised all his stuff as well, I've stayed right away from that, it doesn't involve me, they've got to make decisions for their family and they've done that already."
He added while players couldn't help but hear about these things when they are reported by the press, they did their best not to read into it.
"You can't help but hear about it, it comes up, you go home and watch TV and it comes up all the time but that's about it. You watch it on TV then you sit there and that's it, I never bother any of the players with that sort of stuff," he said.
Manly centre Peta Hiku played a straight bat to questions about Foran's future.
"He told us a few months ago he had signed with Parramatta, got up in a team meeting and told us. We all respected him for it and congratulated him so we've thought he was going from then," Hiku said.
"We've just come here to train and focus on the weekend.
"[Foran] hasn't said anything so we've not been given any heads up. We don't really know what's happened."
Foran was one of the club's best in a much-needed win over Wests Tigers last weekend having shaken off a hamstring strain and Hiku was expecting another big game from the five-eighth against the Rabbitohs on Friday.
"It's just another game for him I suppose. No doubt he'll put in 100 per cent for us… Last weekend was pretty good. He's had a niggle in his hammy so last week he really showed he'd come back from that. He was good."
