Kieran Foran's future at the Warriors will be resolved by the end of this month.
That is when a decision from the five eighth over where he will play in 2018 needs to be made.
While it might be a soft deadline, by a few days, there's an awareness from the Warriors that they can't afford to wait any longer. Whether he is staying in Auckland or returning to Australia, it needs to be settled.
Not only do the Warriors have to plan for the future, they also have to concentrate on getting the best out of their team this season.
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Advertise with NZME.There's a realisation that the longer it drags on - like any big decision in life - the more it could start to have a negative impact on day to day matters.
Foran is currently in a good head space, the best since he arrived in Auckland. He's settled and content and most of all enjoying the camaraderie and challenge of playing again. He's also had an instant impact on the Warriors team, probably better than many hoped, without being at full fitness. But the last thing he needs is more disruption and distraction, as the ravenous Sydney papers link him to a clutch of clubs for next year.
Taking on a manager will help. Foran's phone was being bombarded with calls and messages over the last few months, with agents making all kinds of offers and promises in the hope of getting him on their books, so having the experienced Sam Ayoub in his corner will deflect some of that attention.
And the rest is up to him. Foran's unique personal circumstances, with his two young children living across the Tasman, means that this is not a straight negotiation. It's a genuine dilemma. He's found a home at the Warriors, revelling in the unique atmosphere at the club. There must be some doubts that he could replicate that in Sydney, where the 'booze, betting and birds' culture still permeates through many NRL dressing rooms, as well as the never-ending attention of the Australian league media. On the other side is the intensely personal side of the decision; as a father, can he live another year away from his kids?
A prompt resolution is also important because Foran is a major piece in a complex Warriors jigsaw. Shaun Johnson has made no secret of his desire to play with Foran as long as possible. The Warriors are still confident they would retain their halfback if Foran doesn't sign a new deal, but clarity is needed either way. The future of young gun Ata Hingano also hinges on what Foran, and to a lesser extent Johnson, decide to do.
However, it's another step up this week for Foran and co. against Canberra, as the Warriors have won just three times in their last 14 visits to the Australian capital
Warriors coach Stephen Kearney has named an unchanged 21-man squad for Saturday's match. The only tweak sees in form prop James Gavet named to start, after being selected on the interchange bench over the last two weeks.
However Gavet subsequently started both matches, against the Titans and Eels, after late switches on match day.
