Finally-fit Foran no longer content to finish up

A year ago, injury-plagued Manly five-eighth Kieran Foran would have been content to hang the boots up at the end of his current 2022 deal but after back-to-back healthy pre-seasons the 31-year-old has declared he wants more.

Since leaving Manly at the end of 2015, Foran's one season each at the Eels and Warriors and three-year spell at Belmore have been wracked by back, hamstring, ankle, foot and shoulder injuries.

In between, the 2011-premiership winner has shown glimpses of his best – enough to return to the test arena – but has struggled to stay on the field.

After playing 20-plus games for five straight years at Manly (and 19 in his final season in 2015), Foran didn't match that feat again until his return to the northern beaches, with an impressive 25-game season last year helping Manly to a top-four finish and a preliminary final berth.

It started with his first fully fit pre-season in a long time.

"I had always been coming back from surgeries but I was able to hit the ground running when I came back to the club," Foran said.

"Through all those tough years with the injuries I was able to search for answers and search for different training techniques and ways to look after my body and get on top of things. It has given me a great understanding of what I need to do.

"I have just found as I get older in my career that the more I do the better I actually feel, rather than the less I do. That's been the biggest change through my career, just trying to do something every day."

Better injury management and resulting on-field success has convinced Foran that retiring at the end of 2022 is no longer good enough.

"If you'd said to me 12 months ago if I got through this two years with Manly would I be content? I would have said bloody oath. Now I want more!" Foran said.

"It's just where I am feeling physically and mentally. I feel like I have learned how to look after myself, how to manage my body in the best way possible so I can handle the week to week grind of footy. I am 31, I will be 32 midway through this year. But I'm not ready to roll over yet.

"But it comes down to performance. You can want to play for as long as you want to but at the end of the day you've got to be able to produce on a consistent and weekly level.

"I don't have an endpoint at this stage. I don't want to put a time period on it. It comes down to what I can do on the footy field. That is my main priority. Hopefully there are a few more years to come."

The extension talk hasn't started yet, according to Foran.

"I'll probably begin talks at some point in the next couple of months; It's not on my mind," he said.

"But it would be unlikely I want to leave this club and head somewhere else. If they want me here, I will be here. Put it that way. I love this club, I love playing under Dessie.

"I love playing with the guys in this footy side. So it is a no-brainer really provided I am feeling fit and healthy and playing the footy I can play."