Fitness doubt over Foran's Warriors debut

Warriors recruit and playmaker and Kieran Foran is touch-and-go to be fit for his scheduled NRL return in round three against Canterbury.

Warriors boss Stephen Kearney has dead-batted questions over Kieran Foran's fitness ahead of his imminent return to NRL action.

Foran, 26, has been cleared by the game's bosses to make his comeback in Friday week's match against Canterbury in Dunedin, but has not fully recovered from a long-term shoulder issue.

Kearney echoed Warriors chief Jim Doyle on Wednesday, saying if Foran wasn't fully fit by March 17, he'd be ready a week or two afterwards.

But that was as far as the new boss was willing to go.

"I'm more focused on Friday," Kearney said, referring to his side's round-two match against Melbourne in Auckland.

"Once that's out of the way, I'll talk about Kieran."

Doyle had told Fairfax Media that Foran's involvement in the Friday night game in Dunedin couldn't be guaranteed.

This was despite frequent assurances from the club over recent weeks that Foran was almost 100 per cent physically fit.

"We've known about the shoulder thing for a while, but he's getting better every day," Doyle said.

"The next couple of weeks are big weeks for him because he's doing full contact and wrestling.

"He's still quite convinced that he will be there for round three but, if it's not round three, it will be round four or pretty close."

When he returns, it will be the first game since the former Kiwi five-eighth's public fall from grace last year.

The Auckland-born playmaker was admitted to hospital following a prescription drug overdose in after separating from his long-term partner.

He also came under scrutiny for his relationship with former brothel owner Eddie Hayson.

After walking out on his lucrative four-year deal with Parramatta, he linked up with the Warriors in search of a fresh start.

He spoke publicly for the first time at last month's Warriors season launch.

"It's great to get out of Sydney and get home around extended family and just get back to my roots and be around big love," Foran said.

The NRL approved Foran's return last month, having been satisfied he was in a fit and proper state of mind to play in the competition.

Young gun Ata Hingano has worn the Warriors' No.6 jumper in Foran's absence, playing the full 80 minutes in their round-one victory over Newcastle.


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Source: AAP



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