Manly may be able to hang on to both Foran and Cherry-Evans
The Australian
February 10, 2015 12:00AM
Brent Read - Senior Sports Writer Sydney
MANLY’S quest to hold on to Kieran Foran and Daly Cherry-Evans could be made easier by the NRL, which is due to enter talks with the players union that could increase the salary cap for next season.
Under the terms of the collective bargaining agreement, the Rugby League Players Association can review the game’s profitability before March 1.
Should the profit exceed projections, the RLPA reserves the right under clause 11.2 of the agreement to negotiate a potential rise in player payments for 2016 and beyond.
Manly is among the clubs most likely to benefit from any lift in the salary cap. Foran and Cherry-Evans are both weighing up their futures amid lucrative offers from elsewhere.
Meanwhile, Foran says he intends to “lap up” every second of this week’s laid-back preparations for the NRL All-Stars match on the Gold Coast amid mounting speculation he is bound for Parramatta next season. Speaking yesterday, Foran was typically coy on his future but admitted the departures of Jason King, Anthony Watmough and Glenn Stewart had taken some getting used too.
“I won’t lie, it’s been different,” Foran said. “Over probably the past two or three years now we have lost some really big personalities and really prominent figures from the group.
“You can’t expect to just replace players like that but at the same time I think the coaching staff has done a pretty good job of making the necessary adjustments as smooth as possible.”
With his future seemingly a source of constant speculation for the past six months, Foran admitted he was happy to be having a week away from the intense scrutiny which has followed him.
“It’s been different for me — as I said the club has gone through some pretty significant changes and obviously there has been a lot made about my future and Daly’s,” Foran said.
“I have said all along I wasn’t going to rush into a decision. These situations are why we have managers — so they can look after all the groundwork and when we are ready we can talk and come up with a decision.
“Being down at Manly, you know every training session, every week is intense. There is pressure to perform and it’s all very … intense is the only word I can think of.
“So to get the chance to get out of that spotlight even for just a few days and actually just get back to enjoying yourself and having a bit of fun out there.
“I don’t think I am alone in saying this is a week we all look forward to being a part of.”
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/spo...and-cherry-evans/story-fnca0von-1227213917355
