A text message from Parramatta captain Kieran Foran has thanked the rugby league community for their concern for his wellbeing but he's also urged for his privacy to be respected while he works through what he called "some personal issues".
There has been intense speculation about the reason why Foran sought - and was granted - indefinite leave from Parramatta but the 25-year-old did not elaborate on that in his text to Fairfax Media.
He did, however, make it clear he was up for whatever the days ahead might throw at him and that his desire is to return and play for the Eels when he's able to do so.
"I thank and appreciate everyone's concerns and well wishes," Foran wrote in his text which he sent to Fairfax Media. "I just need some time and privacy to sort through some personal issues. I look forward to getting back to playing footy with my teammates.
"[I also offer a] Thank you to the Parramatta club and the fans for supporting me."
Foran, and his inner circle of supporters, reiterated that it was the football star's wish to be left alone in the meantime.
It was reported on Channel Nine on Friday night that Foran had flown out of the country to attend a rehabilitation clinic.
Foran's failure to fulfil three of his regular weekly radio commitments and the cancellation of a publicised appearance on The Sunday Footy Show two weeks ago are an indication of how much the Parramatta captain was struggling with the personal problems which have now put his NRL career on hold indefinitely.
Foran, who had been receiving help before being admitted to St Vincents Hospital earlier this week after reportedly a reaction to prescription medication, has a segment on Sky Radio's Big Sports Breakfast program every Thursday but has missed three appearances recently - including this week when Parramatta coach Brad Arthur replaced him. He was also scheduled to appear as a guest on Channel Nine's The Sunday Footy Show on April 17 but was a late cancellation and it was announced he was ill.
Big Sports Breakfast host Terry Kennedy said on air that Foran was undergoing intense physiotherapy, which is what Sky Radio had been told, but those close to the 25-year-old playmaker had been aware for some time that he was doing it tough after splitting with his partner and mother of his two children, the second of whom was born recently.
Eels chief executive John Boulous confirmed Foran had been receiving treatment for personal issues and said the decision had been taken for him to stand down after he was taken to hospital. It is understood Foran wanted to play in Friday night's match against Canterbury and for New Zealand in next week's trans-Tasman Test against Australia at Hunter Stadium but the club insisted his welfare should come ahead of football.
"The club made the decision for him to get himself right," Boulous said. "He has got some personal problems and whether Kieran may have been able to play or not is something we are speculating on. Certainly what we do know is that Kieran needed help, he put his hand up to get that help and we have given him the time to do that. When I learned he had been taken to hospital I thought it was probably an opportunity for him to get himself right. He has got some wonderful people around him and people who are leading him and guiding him."
Foran is renowned for his toughness on the field and friends say he is a person who bottles up his problems but many had been aware he was struggling and Boulous said the Parramatta players supported him being given indefinite leave from playing.
"I think most of his teammates were aware he may have been struggling with some issues," Boulous said. "They are very close knit as a group of people and they care about Kieran, and they are very supportive of the club's decision to give him some time away and to give him the time he needs.
"I think it is just a culmination of a number of personal problems he is having and it was decided he needs some help so he is going to do that away from the game to get himself better and that is in everyone's interests. It is welfare first for us, we exist for many reasons as a football club and one of those is to look after our own."
While there is speculation Foran will return after the representative weekend, Boulous said no time frame had been placed on how long he would be absent. "He has had personal problems and as a club we have thought it was best to give him as much time as we can to get himself right," Boulos said.
"Moving forward I guess Kieran will take as much time as he wants and needs to get himself right. We have put no end date on that for him and as a club we need to give him as much time as possible for him to get himself right because he has made a wonderful contribution to our club in a short period of time and he is a wonderful person. He is someone who is very important to our club and when he is ready he will come back. I can't put any time frame on it, this is a decision for Kieran. He needs to feel that he is right to go and we will give him as much time as he needs to do that."
