With his NRL future finally decided, Warriors playmaker Kieran Foran has pledged to lift his game to another level and take the Auckland-based club deep into the finals series.
The 26-year-old's departure to the Bulldogs, from 2018 was confirmed on Wednesday, limiting his spell at the Warriors to a single year.
Thrown a lifeline by the club after well-publicised mental health issues, Foran has sharpened the Warriors' attacking game in his five appearances this season and helped to lift the standards of his side right across the park.
Yet the Kiwis five-eighth admitted the thought of his future beyond 2017 had recently felt like a weight hanging around his neck.
And with that resolved, he says he will now be able to produce his best footy, and make his sole season in Auckland a special one.
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"It does weigh on your mind and can become a bit of a distraction - I've certainly noticed it's been that way for me," Foran said.
"It'll be good to put that behind me and focus on putting everything in, 110 per cent, to each game."
Foran was open to remaining at the Warriors for a further 12 months after finding his feet and getting on top of his mental health in Auckland.
But with his two young children still in Sydney, he felt obliged to return to the Harbour City and play a larger role in their lives.
He now wants to lay down a legacy, however small, at Mount Smart Stadium - starting with the 11th-placed Warriors' visit to Penrith on Saturday.
"We've worked extremely hard in the pre-season and the coaches have done a great job, setting up a game plan and process," Foran said.
"We've seen signs in each game we play.
"It'd be great to go deep into the finals, and really achieve something."
Coach Stephen Kearney echoed Foran's sentiment and said he was glad the contract issue was resolved quickly.
"He's a deep thinker and over the course of the past month in particular, I think it's had an impact on his football," Kearney said.
"I see him this morning, walking around a couple of kilos lighter already."
