‘The future of our club’: Star’s plea for rookie as Hunt saga climaxes

“Tanah is the long-term future of this club.”

Kieran Foran has issued a defiant declaration in support of his Gold Coast halves partner Tanah Boyd, pleading with the Titans to keep the faith in the 22-year-old in light of links connecting them to marquee halfback Ben Hunt.

Rugby league’s player market has gone into a spin following revelations Hunt was pushing for a contract release from the St George-Illawarra Dragons in a bid to a return to Queensland, with an eventual landing on the Glitter Strip for next season being reported as the likely outcome.

Should the club pull off the recruitment coup of the Maroons star, it would leave Boyd with an uncertain future, only signed until the end of next year as he seeks to cement himself as a regular NRL No.7.

Hunt’s signature would likely mean he partners Foran – who returned for Sunday’s win over the Broncos from a spate of injury concerns, namely a plantar plate concern in his toe that kept him from training for about two months – at the scrumbase next season, before the Kiwi ends his two-year deal with the Titans.

The logjam of fullbacks at Parkwood – AJ Brimson, Jayden Campbell and Keano Kini – could then orchestrate a positional shift for one of them to five-eighth alongside Hunt in 2025.

However, Kiwi Test star Foran was adamant Boyd needed to be at the forefront of the Gold Coast’s plans moving forward, believing he was just beginning to build into a genuine NRL footballer after years spent as a makeshift dummy-half off the bench.

“I think Tanah is the long-term future of this club,” Foran said.

“I don’t know what’s going on with the Ben Hunt situation, but I certainly feel like Tanah is a guy that has had a really interrupted start to his career and he’s just found his home as a No.7 at this club and he’s been doing an outstanding job this year.

“I think he’s only going to go from strength to strength, so at the end of the day I don’t make those decisions, my job is to play footy, but I certainly feel like Tanah has a huge future as the halfback of this club.”

Foran will reunite with inbound coach Des Hasler next season – the man he won a premiership with at Manly before joining him at the Bulldogs and Sea Eagles again – following Justin Holbrook’s shock axing on Thursday.

The 32-year-old said he had not been in contact with “the Mad Scientist” since they each left Brookvale, but believed he would be a palpable influence on the young Titans group.

“He was incredible for myself as a young player and I think he’ll be no different for these guys,” Foran said.

“They’re at a young stage of their career, he’s a father figure and certainly cares about all his players.

“He has deep love and care for all his players and I think the guys here will certainly feel that when he comes in.

“They’ll certainly take to his approach, and I think it can only be a real positive thing for the club moving forward.”