Kieran Foran has been cleared to make his comeback in round three after the NRL registered his Warriors contract.
Foran will still need to undergo further psychological assessment before his return to ensure he has overcome the issues that resulted in his departure from Parramatta. The development ends months of speculation about whether head office deemed him a fit and proper person for registration.
![On the mend: Kieran Foran is expected to make his Warriors debut in round three.](/web/20170217160600im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/u/5/p/f/l/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gudepn.png/1487190093587.jpg)
Foran said he welcomed the opportunity to resume his career.
"Naturally I would love to return in round one because I love rugby league and I love being part of the Warriors squad," Foran said.
"But both the Warriors and NRL have put my welfare first throughout, so I am just happy that my contract is registered and I now have a date for my return."
It's understood one of the conditions placed upon Foran was that he end his association with former brothel owner Eddie Hayson.
"I have always said that my priority is ensuring Kieran's wellbeing – and his football career is secondary," NRL CEO Todd Greenberg said.
"The expert advice we recently received indicates that Kieran's recovery has reached the point where he is physically and mentally fit to return to rugby league.
"Consequently, we have today registered his contract to play with the Warriors in 2017.
"However, we want to be doubly sure that Kieran is in the right state of mind and have therefore decided to defer his return to the NRL until round three so a further psychological assessment can be made.
"Kieran will only be allowed to play again in the NRL if that assessment is positive. Conditions will also be placed on his contract relating to integrity matters following the review of his gambling associations last year."
Foran will again strike up a halves combination with his former Kiwi teammate Shaun Johnson.
"Naturally, we are keen to see Kieran back on the field as soon as possible but we have always shared the NRL's view that the most important thing is to ensure Kieran is mentally and physically ready for the demands of the NRL," said Warriors CEO Jim Doyle.
"We have seen Kieran's progress over the last few months and we are confident he will be ready for round three", he added.
"Kieran has already become an integral part of the Warriors squad off the field and his teammates will be thrilled to see him back on the field."
Doyle added that Foran was keen to stay in Auckland - but the club would wait until he had successfully bedded into the Warriors set-up before discussing an extension.
"Kieran doesn't see himself as a player who hops from club to club, you've seen that at Manly," Doyle said.
"We've had a few discussions around that already but we've said, let's take it one step at a time, get the registration, get on the field."
Doyle also said that any contract extension would be dependent on the still-unknown size of the salary cap from 2018.
The current $7m cap is predicted to rise in line with a new broadcast deal, but a collective bargaining agreement has not yet been nailed down.
"You can only spend X amount of dollars or link things to percentages, so it does make it a little bit muddy," Doyle said.
Irrespective of any extension, Doyle said he was glad to see Foran get his life back together in Auckland after a difficult 12 months.
He had surrounded himself with good people in Auckland, including godfather Don Mackinnon and was almost fully recovered from a serious shoulder injury.
"This process is not just about ticking boxes for the NRL," Doyle said.
"He wants to be a good family man, he's got two young kids and he's doing this to better himself, to be the best person he can."
with AAP
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