Raelene Castle during A Tribute to Sir Graham Henry and Richie McCaw, 2012. Photo/Photosport
Raelene Castle during A Tribute to Sir Graham Henry and Richie McCaw, 2012. Photo/Photosport
Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs chief executive Raelene Castle is confident her club can support and shield new signing Kieran Foran through Sydney's minefield of temptations.
Kiwis half Foran confirmed this week that he would join his former Manly coach Des Hasler at the Bulldogs next season, after completing his current one-yearcontract with the NZ Warriors.
But Warriors CEO Jim Doyle was concerned that returning to Sydney so soon after his emotional breakdown at Parramatta last year would just open up old wounds.
Foran walked away from the Eels mid-season after a very public split with his partner and mother of his children, and was only allowed to sign with the Warriors after satisfying the NRL that he was of suitably sound mind.
"He got himself into a pretty dark hole just over a year ago," said Doyle. "Hopefully, he'll be much stronger and will have learnt from the past, and not get himself back into that position."
But NZ-born Castle told Newstalk ZB's Tony Veitch that Foran and Bulldogs management had already set out a framework that would guide him through his three-year contract at the club.
One of those conditions will be no contact with notorious Sydney businessman and gambler Eddie Hayson.
Kieran Foran playing for NZ Warriors v Sydney Roosters at Mt Smart Stadium. Photo/Photosport
"That will be something the NRL will insist on in Kieran's contract," said Castle. "There are some things that Kieran's identified that are important to him and how he wants to be a good father to his children.
"Making sure he's mixing with the right people is part of that.
"Certainly, the welfare and supports systems that the Bulldogs have in place are very extensive, and we will make sure that we have the support around him that Kieran needs."
Castle, a former Netball New Zealand chief executive, believed Foran's existing bond with Hasler would be key to his survival.
"He has a very strong relationship with Des and Des runs a very tight ship here," she said. "The expectations are laid out and are very clear.
"His long-standing relationship with Hasler certainly means that he will be respectful of what Des demands of his players under the Bulldogs family unit.
Competition for Foran's signature was intense, with the Warriors holding out hope until the very end that they could retain his services beyond this season. In the end, it came down to his desire to be near his children.
"He wants to be the best father he can be and although Auckland's close - three hours on a plane is not that far away - the reality is it's not like seeing them every week and that's what he'll be able to do now that he's at the Bulldogs," says Castle.
"It's something he's excited about and he's determined to be a really good father, and that means spending as much time as possible with the family.
"He was really enjoying it [at the Warriors] and at the end of the day, the decision was very much about family and making sure he could be a constant part of our children's lives."
But Castle was also adamant that Warriors fans should not regard Foran's short stay in Auckland as a waste of time - there was still a very real chance that he could lead the club deep into the NRL playoffs, before he left.
"He's an impressive young man in the way he presents himself, but most important is his ability to play football, and take the people around him and make them better players as well.
"While he's only been at the Warriors for a year, I know they will benefit from it and that's certainly something we're looking forward to, so he can take our team to the next level as well.
"The legacy he leaves behind in the health and growth and development of the players around him is something that they will see."
She also expected to see Foran continue to give his all for the Warriors, despite his imminent departure.
"Keiran has loved his time at the Warriors and it was a really hard decision," said Castle. "The last thing he wants to do is be anything, but the complete professional he is and put his best foot forward.
"I don't think the modern-day footballer can afford to do that, because those sorts of things can stay with you right through your career and next time there's a transfer period, people may look at you differently."
