‘They’re our brothers’: Foran insists no split in Manly playing group

As the Sea Eagles welcome back five of the seven players who stood down last week for personal reasons, veteran five-eighth Kieran Foran said the club and playing group remain united.

Jason Saab, Christian Tuipulotu, Tolutau Koula, Haumole Olakau'atu and Toafofoa Sipley have all been named to take on the Eels on Friday night, with the other two players who stood down in Round 20 — Josh Schuster and Josh Aloiai — listed in the reserves and left out due to injury respectively.

While admitting it had been an emotional week leading into their 20-10 loss to the Roosters, Foran said the club have now addressed the matter and moved on ahead of hosting Parramatta at 4 Pines Park.

“Definitely [we are a united club]. We have moved past it, it’s been dealt with, we have got together a number of times now and we are focusing on the year ahead,” Foran said.

“I don’t really want to disclose those internal discussions, that’s for us as a club, but I can say they all went really well and we have all put it behind us now.

“It was an emotional week, there is no denying that.

They have been some of our best players all year, they’ve done a tremendous job throughout this season, they’re a vital part of this footy side and they are our brothers.

Kieran Foran

“They come straight back in and we get ready to go on Friday.”

The defeat to the Roosters with their makeshift 17 struck a blow to Manly’s top-eight hopes and leaves them two points adrift of the finals in 10th place.

It means the match against the sixth-placed Eels is now all the more important, with a loss meaning Des Hasler's side could drop two wins outside of the eight with only four games to go after this weekend.

Foran said he was grateful to have some experience back onboard after the club fielded three debutants last week, and admitted it was a bonus to be facing Parramatta without their star halfback Mitchell Moses, who has a broken thumb. 

“It was an interesting week last week with a lot of guys coming into the side. I thought that they did a really good job filling in, but nice to have those boys back and ready to go for Friday night,” Foran said.

“He [Moses] is obviously an important part of their side so he will be a big loss, but look they are a pretty strong unit all across the field.

“We are going to have to on our game and make sure we turn up.”