Latest news with #KieranForan
Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
NRL star and suicide survivor opens up about mental health journey: 'I could feel myself spiralling down'
Footy great Kieran Foran will hang up his boots at the end of the 2025 season. A household name in the NRL, Foran will call time on a glittering 16-year career in footy's top flight. He is admired by many as a journeyman, having begun his career playing for the Manly Sea Eagles. He'd later go on to make more than 300 NRL appearances, playing for all of Parramatta, the Warriors, Canterbury and the Gold Coast. The 35-year-old also won a premiership in 2011 with Manly, was capped 31 times by New Zealand and represented the NRL All Stars on two separate occasions. While he has always cut a positive and outspoken figure, Foran has been candid about his mental health struggles and revealed that he had once found himself on the brink of taking his own life. During his career, the 35-year-old five-eighth struggled with addiction and explained he had felt shame at trying to hide those issues. 'I had always been a pretty upbeat sort of guy, pretty positive. From the outside looking in – I seemed to have it all – I was 25, earning good money, captain of an NRL team – achieving what I had always dreamt of,' the former Parramatta Eels and Manly skipper said to The Daily Telegraph. 'But inside, my world felt very different. I could feel my world spiralling down.' The 35-year-old took time away from the footy pitch to address his mental health. Ten years later, Foran, who has made a cumulative 314 NRL appearances for clubs around the league, has reflected on that period and revealed he is thankfully doing much better now. 'I say that now when I talk to people that the greatest satisfaction I have had from my life is how I have rebuilt it – step by step, layer by layer,' he told the outlet. 'That is one of my most important and greatest achievements, rebuilding a pretty broken life at stages, one that was filled with various battles and addictions and things I never thought I would be able to overcome.' During that difficult period, Foran managed only 66 games between 2016 and 2020, while he was playing for the Eels, the Warriors and Canterbury. He had questioned his future in the game, before Des Hasler offered him the chance to return to play for Manly in 2021. 'Over the course of time, there were certain moments of doubt and times where I wasn't sure whether I could keep going or should keep going,' he explained last week after his retirement announcement. He added: 'There's always been an internal belief that I wasn't quite finished and quite done, despite a number of setbacks and surgeries.' Foran would continue playing and went on to become one of 55 members of the 300-game club. He has also seen firsthand the devastation that suicide can leave behind after his wife's son, Logan, died by suicide two years ago. 'They have no idea how much they are loved and how important they are – no matter what their circumstances,' he said. 'My wife is so strong and she is trying to do absolutely everything she can to still get through life but a part of her will always be gone now.' After his retirement, the Manly great will continue to work as a mental health advocate. Foran has also been announced as a new Heart On My Sleeve ambassador. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Heart On My Sleeve (@heartonmysleeve) Heart On My Sleeve aims to provide support to those suffering from mental health issues by normalising emotional honesty and reducing stigmas about speaking about difficult subjects. The not-for-profit organisation is encouraging others to be comfortable saying: 'I'm not OK.' Lifeline provides 24-hour crisis counselling. Call Lifeline on 13 11 14 The Suicide Call Back Service provides 24/7 support. Call 1300 659 467 Beyond Blue aims to increase awareness of depression and anxiety. Call 1300 22 4636 MensLine Australia is a counselling service offering support to Australian men. Call 1300 78 99 78
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Footy great slams NRL team for having the worst name and mascot in the league
Former Parramatta Eels star Eric Grothe Jnr has launched a scathing attack on the lowly Gold Coast Titans, questioning why anyone would support them. Just days after the Titans lost to the Panthers in a heartbreaking golden point game, Grothe Jnr teed off on 'how boring' the club's mascot was. 'A f***ing Titan, how boring,' he said on the League Lads podcast. 'Gold Coast Titans, as if you want to go for the Titans. Imagine if your team was the Titans. It's the sh***est mascot, colours.' Grothe Jnr suggested the club should have been called the 'Miami Dolphins' like the NFL team in America and possibly because Miami is a well-known suburb on the Gold Coast. 'That place should be like the Miami Dolphins of the Gold Coast. How do you market a Titan, what's a f***ing Titan?' he said in his rant. 'Bulldogs is awesome, Eels is good because there's no other Eels, it's different, it's unique. You've got Tigers, Tigers are cool, a Bear, it's all cool, a Panther. 'Who cares about a Titan?' Grothe Jnr claimed he was not taking any personal shots at the club, saying he 'loved' coach Des Hasler and veteran playmaker Kieran Foran. Then he threw up a comical suggestion for the team's mascot which had his fellow podcasters in stitches. 'Even if they did something stupid like a blue bottle. At least people can put on blue balloons with antennas and the crepe paper. At least it's something,' he said. The Gold Coast currently sit 16th on the NRL ladder and are in a wooden spoon battle with Souths, Parramatta and Newcastle. Some of their fans reminded Grothe Jnr that he played for the Eels and mocked that mascot. 'I admit the Eels is weird but it's cool how it's the only pro sports team with an Eel for its logo,' he said. Titans fans stood up for their club online, while many neutrals found Grothe's rant funny. 'Big Titans fan and will always be a Titans fan. I don't care about a name, I care about what this club means to me and I will support this team through thick and thin,' one fan wrote online. 'I love them too. Just spewing I wasn't there when they decided on a Titan so I could've put my two cents in,' Grothe Jnr said. 'Titans just seems like they didn't put enough thought into the whole thing.' Grothe Jnr, who played 142 NRL games between 1999 and 2010, then took a shot at the now-defunct Western Reds after their three seasons in the top grade in the 1990s. He mocked the choice of their major sponsor. 'Did you see their jerseys? Cash Converters,' he said. 'How's that your sponsor? I don't care how much they're paying.' The ex-Origin player's rant comes just months after he revealed how he turned the tables an online scammer.
RNZ News
25-07-2025
- Sport
- RNZ News
NRL: NZ Warriors v Gold Coast Titans - what you need to know
Former Titans half Tanah Boyd will face off against former Warriors half Kieran Foran - but for opposite teams. Photo: RNZ/Liam Swiggs NZ Warriors v Gold Coast Titans Kickoff 5pm Saturday, 26 July Go Media Stadium Auckland Live blog updates on RNZ Sport Of all the current NRL clubs, only the Dolphins (3-2) and Wests Tigers (23-16) have provided NZ Warriors with better winning records than Gold Coast Titans (20-14) at 58.8 percent. The Warriors have a 9-5 advantage at their Go Media Stadium home, but haven't enjoyed success there since 2019. In fact, now-Warriors halfback Tanah Boyd has brought agony on his current team in the last two outings at Mt Smart, kicking a field goal for victory in 2022, while scoring a try, and kicking three conversions and a field goal on Anzac Day last year. Despite their struggles, the Titans have won five of their last six meetings with the Warriors, including a 66-6 whitewash across the Tasman in their last meeting, when winger Alofiana Khan-Pereira scored four tries. They also prevailed 44-0 at C'bus Stadium in 2021 and those two results stand as the club's biggest-ever wins. The Warriors' best result was a 42-0 win in 2014, when English fullback Sam Tonkins scored two tries, and Shaun Johnson had a try and kicked 7/7 from the tee. After recording back-to-back losses against Penrith Panthers and Brisbane Broncos, the Warriors have emerged from a bye week with back-to-back wins over Wests Tigers and Newcastle Knights. They needed a miraculous last-ditch, 40-metre solo try from teenager second-rower Leka Halasima to secure a 20-15 win over the Knights, but are now on a countdown to secure a playoff berth, with seven games remaining and six points clear of ninth-placed Cronulla Sharks. They'll likely need four more wins, and their run to the post-season includes Gold Coast twice, St George-Illawarra Dragons and Paramatta Eels, all outside the top eight. The Titans sit bottom of the NRL table with 14 points - two behind the Knights, South Sydney Rabbitohs and Paramatta Eels. They have suffered four straight defeats, the most recent a heart-wrenching 21-20 loss to the Tigers, with lock Adam Douehi kicking a field goal for victory. On paper, they have a talented roster, which has just not produced to its potential this season. Only North Queensland Cowboys have conceded more than their 503 points, an average of 29.6 points per game. Only the Cowboys have a worse points differential (-157). Warriors: 1 Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, 2 Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, 3 Adam Pompey, 4 Kurt Capewell, 5 Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, 6 Chanel Tavita-Harris, 7 Tanah Boyd, 8 James Fisher-Harris, 9 Wayde Egan, 10 Jackson Ford, 11 Leka Halasima, 12 Marata Niukore, 13 Erin Clark Interchange: 14 Te Maire Martin, 15 Jacob Laban, 16 Demitric Vaimauga, 17 Tanner Stowers-Smith Reserves: 18 Taine Tuaupiki, 20 Sam Healey Fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad is the big return for coach Andrew Webster, after nursing a knee injury back to health over the past four weeks. He replaces Taine Tuaupiki in the No.1 jersey, while Kurt Capewell retains his spot in the midfield, despite leaving the field with a knee complaint against Newcastle last week. Titans: 1 AJ Brimson, 2 Jaylan de Groot, 3 Brian Kelly, 4 Jojo Fifita, 5 Phillip Sami, 6 Kieran Foran, 7 Jayden Campbell, 8 Moeaki Fotuaika,19 Sean Mullany, 10 Jaimin Jolliffe, 11 Chris Randall, 12 Beau Fermor, 13 Klese Haas Interchange: 14 Jacob Alick-Wiencke, 15 Reagan Campbell-Gillard, 16 Iszac Fa'asuamaleaui, 17 Josh Patston Reserves: 18 Arama Hau, 20 Tom Weaver After his spectacular locker-room blow-up last week, when he dragged his players out of the showers for a dressing down, coach Des Hasler gets to celebrate his 500th game as an NRL, amid speculation over his future at the helm of the bottom-placed team. He's lost the services of superstar forwards Tino Fa'asuamaleaui (knee) and David Fifita (ankle) through injury, with Klese Haas promoted to the starting line-up. On Friday, Hasler made a later change at hooker, with Sam Verrills remaining in Australia for the birth of his first childe and Sean Mullany taking his place. Literally one of the Titans' favourite sons, Jayden Campbell, is the offspring of the club's inaugural signing, Preston Campbell, and inherits many of his dad's off-the-cuff instincts for the game. Campbell Jr was a major inflictor of pain in last year's 60-point thrashing of the Warriors, scoring a try and kicking 11/11 from the tee for 26 points. Veteran five-eighth Kieran Foran chalked up 17 games for the Warriors in 2017, but has signalled this will be his last NRL campaign in a 17-year career that has seen him log more than 300 games, despite persistent injuries. The Warriors can't afford to sleepwalk through this game, like they did last week, and expect to grab the two competition points. Hopefully, the desperate nature of the Knights win will act as a wake-up call. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
NRL's ‘ultimate competitor' calls it quits
NRL veteran Kieran Foran says he wants the Gold Coast Titans to plan for 2026, confirming he'll retire at the end of his 17th season, ending a stellar career that spanned five clubs. Foran, 34, will play his 310th match against the Brisbane Broncos on Sunday and, with the club also set to move on coach Des Hasler, said the time was right for him to hang up his boots. 'This is a game I have loved ever since I was a young boy, so coming to the decision was a difficult one … but it's now something that I'm really comfortable with,' Foran said. 'Announcing my retirement now allows the club time to plan for 2026 and it also allows me to start preparing for my future after football. 'I'm still as competitive as ever and every time I pull on the Titans jersey over the next few months, I'm going to be giving everything I've got.' Foran began his NRL career with Manly in 2009 and played 196 games for the club across two stints. He also spent time with the Parramatta Eels (nine games), New Zealand Warriors (17 games), Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs (40 games) and the Titans (47 games to date). He also won an NRL premiership as well as Four Nations and Pacific Championships titles with New Zealand, having captained his country. 'I'm most proud of the fact I've been able to live out my dream as a young boy and go on to play 17 seasons in the NRL,' he said. 'The joy that has brought to my family, extended family, friends and fans of our game and the lessons that I've learnt along the way will help me immensely in the next phase of my life.' 'I want to thank all five of the clubs that I've played for over my career. 'I want to pay tribute to the teammates I've had at those clubs and the supporters and fans of each and every one of those clubs that have supported me across my time wearing their club colours. 'From my early teammates to the current group here at the Titans, I've formed lifelong friendships and bonds that I'm forever grateful for.' Foran spent much of his career playing under Hasler, who handed him his debut almost two decades ago, and lauded him as 'one of the NRL's ultimate competitors'. 'His career has been quite a journey which he has had to navigate highs and lows, but what he has achieved over the past 17 seasons truly epitomises his character and perseverance,' Hasler said. 'Since he debuted, his fighting spirit has become legendary and, in his words, he has always been all-in. 'This won't change for the remainder of his final season. 'His story and journey won't be lost to the game when he hangs up the boots and his future in mentoring young men and women will ensure his legacy continues.'
News.com.au
11-07-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Kieran Foran retires after 17 seasons in NRL
NRL veteran Kieran Foran says he wants the Gold Coast Titans to plan for 2026, confirming he'll retire at the end of his 17th season, ending a stellar career that spanned five clubs. Foran, 34, will play his 310th match against the Brisbane Broncos on Sunday and, with the club also set to move on coach Des Hasler, said the time was right for him to hang up his boots. 'This is a game I have loved ever since I was a young boy, so coming to the decision was a difficult one … but it's now something that I'm really comfortable with,' Foran said. 'Announcing my retirement now allows the club time to plan for 2026 and it also allows me to start preparing for my future after football. 'I'm still as competitive as ever and every time I pull on the Titans jersey over the next few months, I'm going to be giving everything I've got.' Foran began his NRL career with Manly in 2009 and played 196 games for the club across two stints. He also spent time with the Parramatta Eels (nine games), New Zealand Warriors (17 games), Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs (40 games) and the Titans (47 games to date). He also won an NRL premiership as well as Four Nations and Pacific Championships titles with New Zealand, having captained his country. 'I'm most proud of the fact I've been able to live out my dream as a young boy and go on to play 17 seasons in the NRL,' he said. 'The joy that has brought to my family, extended family, friends and fans of our game and the lessons that I've learnt along the way will help me immensely in the next phase of my life.' 'I want to thank all five of the clubs that I've played for over my career. 'I want to pay tribute to the teammates I've had at those clubs and the supporters and fans of each and every one of those clubs that have supported me across my time wearing their club colours. 'From my early teammates to the current group here at the Titans, I've formed lifelong friendships and bonds that I'm forever grateful for.' Foran spent much of his career playing under Hasler, who handed him his debut almost two decades ago, and lauded him as 'one of the NRL's ultimate competitors'. 'His career has been quite a journey which he has had to navigate highs and lows, but what he has achieved over the past 17 seasons truly epitomises his character and perseverance,' Hasler said. 'Since he debuted, his fighting spirit has become legendary and, in his words, he has always been all-in. 'This won't change for the remainder of his final season. 'His story and journey won't be lost to the game when he hangs up the boots and his future in mentoring young men and women will ensure his legacy continues.'
