NRL: Matthew Ridge criticises Manly Sea Eagles over Kieran Foran’s coaching deal
Former Kiwis captain and Manly Sea Eagles premiership winner Matthew Ridge has criticised the club’s hierarchy for handing Kieran Foran a three-year contract.
Foran was appointed as Manly’s coach through to 2029 in June after a successful run as interim coach as Anthony Seibold was sacked after starting the season with three straight losses.
The New Zealand leadership at the club has expanded since, with former All Blacks coach Steve Hansen brought in as football performance director.
Ridge, who started at fullback when Manly won the 1996 ARL grand final, criticised those at the top of the club for being so willing to hand out such a long contract.
“I’m going to be completely honest, and normally I am, I thought it was a real bum decision that they gave, and this is no disrespect to the coach because he’s obviously done reasonably well, but if I was the CEO of that club, there’s no way I’d give a new guy a three year contract after five or six wins,” Ridge told the Herald.
“That was just f***ing r*****ed. Let’s see what he can do next year, but don’t put him on a three year contract because if it doesn’t go good and him and Steve Hansen don’t click or whatever, then there’s just more money they’ve got to pay a guy out.
“They could have sat back, I thought that was a big mistake. Good luck to Foz, cool, he got the contract, that’s neat, and that takes the heat off him.
“But often when you have a change of coach when things aren’t going so well and then the players they get a breath of fresh air, it’s new, then they lift again and they play good for three, four, five, six weeks.”
The 58-year-old felt the contract handed to Foran, who took the job less than a year after retiring from playing, should be reserved for more experienced coaches like Ivan Cleary or Trent Robinson and believed the Kiwi coach could be heading out the door and costing the club plenty of money if he doesn’t start the season with a bang.
“I just think whoever’s the CEO of Manly made a big mistake there, whoever decided that they were going to sign him for three years.
“That was just bluster. They should have just rode it out to the end of the year because where’s he going to go? He’s not going anywhere.
“There’s no other club was going to pick him up and go, ‘Hey, I’m going to pay you heaps. You’ve won five games in a row because you’re there.’
“It’s just basic. You don’t judge on one summer. You’ve got to get runs on the board and when you get runs on the board, then you come to the table and then you try and sign for a bit longer.”
The Sea Eagles finished last season in ninth place and four points off a finals spot, but lost seven of their last 10 games.
Ridge felt that Hansen had been brought in for Foran to lean on and the former All Blacks coach would adapt to rugby league well, but sympathised with Manly’s coach for the job he’s trying to achieve.
“He’s [Foran] still got his training wheels on. That’s why Steve’s there. And they’re hoping that Steve brings him up to speed. But my guess is if they start off poor next year, or even if they start off good, but if they get into a bad patch, he’s gone. He’ll be jettisoned. See ya.
“And that’s it, that’s his career over. He will never get picked up again. Right, so it’s better sometimes just to go, ‘Hey, you know what? I’m not going to take that job because I’m not ready for it. I’m not ready to be a head coach of an NRL club.’
“Because a head coach of an NRL club is a big job, man, and that’s why they’ve brought Steve in because Steve’s been a head coach of one of the greatest teams in rugby, and he’s been in the game for so many years.
“Kieran’s just he’s so wet under the ears and it’s no disrespect to him, he’s just been thrust in and now he’s carrying the can and he will get the blame for everything. And now if they do really well, Steve’s going to get the kudos.”
The Manly Sea Eagles have been contacted for comment.
Samuel Sherry is a live news sport journalist for the New Zealand Herald, based in Auckland.