After the signing of Kieran Foran, many highlighted a risk that the Aotearoa Warriors were taking. Foran's return to the NRL was never guaranteed and the whole kerfuffle could have been for nothing if Foran was unable to prove himself fit to play. At the time I pondered the impact signing Foran would have on the Warriors halves situation, mainly how Foran's arrival would impact the development of Ata Hingano and to some extent Tuimoala Lolohea.

For the sake of one year with Foran, the Warriors have opted to keep those young halves on ice. Foran never signed a two-year deal, he never gave strong signals that he was eager to build a future with the Warriors. Instead, it was all about his family and from the outset, being closer to his whanau was always a major objective. Foran came relatively cheap, with the real cost now being felt by Warriors fans as rumours and bits of 'insider' information are released every day regarding Foran's future.

That's how it was always going to be, especially if Foran showed that he still goes alright at this footy thing. The market for halves is hot and uncertainty around the future salary cap only complicates matters, resulting in the Australian NRL rumour hounds preaching this and that. As with most rugby league stuff, kiwi media rely on these Aussie rumour hounds for their content and so these whispers given far more credibility than perhaps they should be given. 

Regardless, this is the situation and until Foran commits somewhere there will be endless stories told. You can either worry yourself, then stay on that website and read something about Shaun Johnson's uncertain future which will only result in you going a bit cray cray, or you can simply concern yourselves with the fact that the Premiership window is slightly open this year. That Premiership window is more open than it's ever been and with the uncertain future of Foran and then Johnson, the Premiership window is open more than it will be in the next few years. 

We aren't just dealing with two halves who are free agents; we've got that and then mayhem created by uncertainty about the salary cap. 

Tohu Harris is coming next season and he's no cheap buy. Re-signing Johnson and Foran is going to be niggly for the Warriors and the Warriors would have known this all along. The cute stuff about offering Foran a place to get back on track as a man first, then a footy player, is cute and genuine, yet the Warriors would have definitely known how good they could be if Foran was firing alongside Johnson, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Issac Luke, Jacob Lillyman, Bodene Thompson, Ryan Hoffman, Simon Mannering and a group of powerful outside backs.

Coach Stephen Kearney would have known that he'd only have Foran locked in for one season and that the only way to entice Foran to stay, would be success. On the back of last season and after the first few rounds, this Warriors team suddenly looks experienced, grizzly and talented. Anyone from that group listed above could say some needed stern or calm words in a huddle, in the past that could only be offered by Mannering, Hoffman or Johnson.

This isn't to get all hype-beast and pump up the Warriors, it's merely a way to get around the constant noise about Foran's future. You can run around and tell your mates about the latest rumour, you can tell your mates about how Johnson was off to Melbourne Storm and how Foran's now off to the Storm (thus looking like a plonker). Or you could just kick back and enjoy what I'd consider to be one of the strongest Warriors teams of my lifetime.

The Premiership window is only open for this season and as long as this specific group can stay relatively healthy, they will have foundations deeply entrenched in the top-eight. When the Warriors signed Foran, they made it clear that they would seize the opportunity for a brief, certain tilt at a Premiership. We are in the midst of it, so just enjoy watching a good team with a good coach represent us and focus solely on this season.

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