Danny Weidler
Kieran Foran is being strongly linked with a return to the Sea Eagles, but Manly have moved quickly to deny suggestions they will be given outside help to bring him back to the northern beaches.
The Sea Eagles have had to fend off suggestions that the passing of much-loved supporter Brenda Duchen would result in Foran’s homecoming being fast-tracked. Duchen was a huge Foran fan and backed him as a sponsor when he was at the club from 2009-15.
Manly refused to comment on my information that Duchen’s family was about to make a donation to their foundation. They say those dealings are confidential, but made it clear any donation would not carry a caveat that Foran must be signed.
‘‘First of all, I want to say that Brenda was a hugely respected and loved person at our club and we would like to honour her in an appropriate way,’’ Manly chief executive Stephen Humphreys said.
‘‘What transpires between her family and the club is confidential. We do not comment on who donates what to our foundation. That’s between the individual and the club. What I will say is that there is no link between anything that may happen and any player being signed by our club. That can’t happen.’’
Duchen was a highly respected figure in the legal fraternity. She had close relationships with Foran, Api Koroisau and Dylan Walker.
Foran this week paid tribute to her on Instagram.
‘‘I want her family to know how much I respect her,’’ he said. ‘‘We always talked about me going back to Manly and she would ask me all the time if I could make it happen. Obviously if things fell into place and I ended up there again she would be in my thoughts every day I was there. I know it’s what she wanted and of course the move has appeal to me. I don’t know if it’s possible. It would be a lovely way for me to honour her memory and her contribution to my life.’’
The pending departure of Addin Fonua-Blake will free up room in the Sea Eagles’ salary cap for Foran to finish up at Manly, but a deal is yet to be struck.
